Urinary Incontinence Symptoms
Urinary incontinence also called loss of bladder control is when you are not able to hold your urine until you can get to a bathroom. In contrast, bladder control means you urinate only when you want to. Incontinence can often be temporary, and it always caused by an underlying medical condition.
More than 13 million Americans experience loss of bladder control. However, women suffer from incontinence twice as often as men do. Both women and men can have trouble with bladder control from neurological (nerve) injury, birth defects, strokes, multiple sclerosis (MS), and physical problems associated with aging.
Symptoms of urinary incontinence is classified by the circumstances - at the
time you leak urine.
- Stress incontinence - Leaking small amounts of urine during
physical movement (coughing, sneezing, exercising). Stress incontinence is
the most common form of incontinence in women. It is treatable.
- Urge incontinence - Leaking large amounts of urine at unexpected
times, including during sleep, after drinking a small amount of water, or
when you touch water or hear it running (as when washing dishes).
- Functional incontinence - Not being able to reach a toilet in time
because of physical disability, obstacles, or problems in thinking or
communicating that prevent a person from reaching a toilet. For example, a
person with Alzheimer's disease may not think well enough to plan a trip to
the bathroom in time to urinate or a person in a wheelchair may be blocked
from getting to a toilet in time.
- Overflow incontinence - Leaking small amounts of urine because the
bladder is always full. With this condition, the bladder never empties
completely. Overflow incontinence is rare in women.
- Mixed incontinence - This means having more than one type of
incontinence, typically stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Usually
one type is more bothersome than the other is. The cause of the two forms
may or may not be related.
- Transient incontinence - Leaking urine on a temporary basis due to
a medical condition or infection that will go away once the condition or
infection is treated. It can be triggered by medications, urinary tract
infections, mental impairment, restricted mobility, and stool impaction
(severe constipation).
If you're having trouble with incontinence, don't hesitate to see your doctor. In many cases, incontinence can be eliminated. Even if it can't be completely eliminated, modern products and ways of managing urinary incontinence can ease your discomfort and inconvenience.
Urinary Incontinence Symptoms to U
|
