It’s thought that three to six million people in the UK suffer from urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is the accidental passing of urine. It affects both genders, but it’s thought that women suffer from it more. It can range in severity from occasional, small leaks to frequent clothes wetting. There are several factors that can lead to incontinence, including family history, obesity, pregnancy, childbirth and increasing age.
There are several forms of incontinence:
Stress incontinence causes leakage when you sneeze, cough, laugh, exercise or pick up something heavy. It typically happens when the muscles used to prevent urination, such as the pelvic floor muscles and urethral sphincter, are weakened or damaged.
Urge incontinence is usually caused by overuse of the detrusor muscles, which control the bladder. It leads to a sudden, urgent need to urinate that can be so strong it can be hard to reach the toilet in time.
Overflow incontinence is frequent dribbling of urine, as the bladder doesn’t empty completely.
Functional incontinence is what happens when a physical or mental condition stops you from making it to the toilet in time.
Living with incontinence
If your incontinence is affecting your daily activities and quality of life, then make an appointment to see your GP who will be able to give you a diagnosis and offer treatment options. During a consultation the doctor will ask about your symptoms and they may carry out a pelvic examination (women) or a rectal one (men). You may be asked to keep a diary where you track how much fluid you drink and how often you urinate.
The first steps in treating incontinence are day-to-day measures that include making changes to your lifestyle such as losing weight and abstaining from caffeine and alcohol. Pelvic floor exercises can also be very effective, particularly for women.
Bladder training can also help. Learn methods like waiting longer between needing to urinate and passing urine, as well as timed urination, where you schedule trips to the bathroom every one to two hours, whether you feel the urge to urinate or not. Once on the toilet take your time and make sure you double void, which requires urinating, pausing, then urinating again to make sure you’ve emptied your bladder.
If your incontinence persists then products such as absorbent pads and hand-held urinals will help you manage the condition. There are also a number of surgical options available. These include expanding the bladder or inserting a device that stimulates the nerve that controls the detrusor muscles. Tape or sling procedures for stress incontinence are used to reduce pressure on the bladder or strengthen the muscles that control how much you urinate.
Read more on Celebrity Angels about incontinence and how to manage it.
