When Should I See A Doctor About Incontinence
Its important to know that incontinence can be treated. Many people believe that its something that just goes along with aging and is an unavoidable issue. If you find that incontinence is disturbing your daily activities and causing you to miss out on things you typically enjoy, talk to your healthcare provider. There are a wide range of options to treat incontinence.
Why Am I Leaking Urine All Of A Sudden What Causes Female Urinary Incontinence Can Uti Cause Urine Leakage
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- Why am I leaking urine all of a sudden? What causes female urinary incontinence? Can UTI cause urine leakage?
Sudden onset of incontinence, or urine leakage, should always warrant a trip to the doctor. There are several different causes of urine leakage and itâs important to identify prior to any treatment being initiated. The more common types of incontinence in women are stress urinary incontinence and urgency urinary incontinence.
Stress urinary incontinence is caused by a weakness in the sphincter muscle of the urethra , a highly mobile urethra, or both. A highly mobile urethra is seen when the pelvic floor tissues are weak and relaxed. Women will experience leakage of urine with activity, such as coughing, laughing, sneezing, and exercising. The most common risk factor for stress urinary incontinence is having a history of a vaginal childbirth, but it can occur in anyone due to other factors such as muscle strength and activity level. For example, women who do very heavy weightlifting may experience stress urinary incontinence while lifting heavy weights, but if they never did such activities, they might not experience incontinence.
Many people have mixed incontinence, with symptoms of both stress urinary incontinence and urgency urinary incontinence causing urine leakage. In this situation the urologist would typically address the type of incontinence that is most impacting your quality of life first, as the treatments are quite different.
Why Does Pregnancy Cause Incontinence
During pregnancy, your body goes through a lot of physical changes. As your uterus stretches to hold the growing baby, a few things happen. Your bladder can be squished by the expanding baby, making your bladder hold less than before. You might experience an increased urgency to pee during pregnancy because your bladder cannot hold as much as before. This might become even more challenging towards the end of pregnancy when the baby is at its largest.
Another reason for incontinence during pregnancy is the weakening of your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles are the support structures for all of the organs in your pelvis. During pregnancy, they can be stretched and weakened as your uterus expands.
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How Is Incontinence Diagnosed
Often, the diagnosis process for incontinence will start with a conversation with your healthcare provider about your medical history and bladder control issues. Your provider might ask you questions like:
- How often do you urinate?
- Do you leak urine between trips to the toilet, how often does this happen and how much urine do you leak each time?
- How long have you been experiencing incontinence?
These questions can help your provider figure out a pattern with your leakage, which often points to a specific type of incontinence. When your provider is asking about your medical history, its important to list all of your medications because some medications can cause incontinence. Your provider will also ask about any past pregnancies and the details around each delivery.
There are also several specific tests that your provider might do to diagnose incontinence, including:
While at home, your provider might recommend you keep track of any leakage in a journal for a few days. By writing down how often you experience incontinence issues over the span of a few days, your provider might be able to identify a pattern. This can really help in the diagnosis process. Make sure to write down how often you need to urinate, how much you are able to go each time, if you leak between trips to the bathroom and any activities you might be doing when you leak urine. Youll then bring this journal with you to your appointment and talk about it with your provider.
What Is The Treatment For Cauda Equina Syndrome
Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency. Compression of the spinal nerves of the spinal cord can lead to permanent dysfunction of the lower extremities, bladder, and bowels. Once the precise cause of cauda equina syndrome is determined , generally aggressive operative intervention with surgical decompression is initiated. If infection is present, antibiotics are given, usually intravenously. If a tumor is responsible for compression, after surgical decompression, radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be needed.
The long-term management of cauda equina syndrome depends on whether or not there are persisting symptoms after surgical decompression of the irritated nerve tissue. This can require pain medicine, physical therapy, supportive braces, urinary catheters, and other treatments etc. until optimal nerve and muscle recovery occurs.
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Incontinence And Pelvic Pain Are Treatable Conditions
Muscular problems in the pelvic floor can cause symptoms ranging from involuntary loss of urine to chronic pelvic pain. Millions suffer from pelvic floor disorders, yet, for many, the symptoms go unidentified and untreated. Although discussing symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction is difficult for some, it is important to realize that pelvic floor pain and dysfunction are not normal and can successfully be treated.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is made of muscles and tissues that form a sling from the pubic bone to the tailbone. They support abdominal and pelvic organs and help to control bladder, bowel, and sexual function.
What are the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction?
Symptoms of pelvic pain, urinary frequency or urgency, painful intercourse, sensation of pelvic pressure or heaviness, painful defecation, tailbone pain, and low back pain can occur when the muscles of the pelvic floor are too tight. Weakness in these muscles can contribute to urinary or bowel incontinence, bladder or rectal prolapse, and low back pain.
What causes pelvic floor dysfunction?
Sometimes the cause of pelvic floor dysfunction is unknown however, some common causes include:
- Chronic poor posture with weak core muscles
- Pregnancy or complicated vaginal delivery
- Abdominal or pelvic surgery such as a hysterectomy or prostatectomy
- Trauma
- Inflammation or infection
- Pelvic organ disease
- Athletic injuries
- Chronic constipation.
Will I Have Incontinence For My Entire Life
Sometimes incontinence is a short-term issue that will go away once the cause ends. This is often the case when you have a condition like a urinary tract infection . Once treated, frequent urination and leakage problems caused by a UTI typically end. This is also true for some women who experience bladder control issues during pregnancy. For many, the issues end in the weeks after delivery. However, other causes of incontinence are long-term and related to conditions that are managed throughout your life. If you have a chronic condition like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, you may have incontinence for a long period of time. In those cases, its important to talk to your provider about the best ways to manage your incontinence so that it doesnt interfere with your life.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
It can be embarrassing to talk about bathroom habits with your healthcare provider. This embarrassment shouldnt stop you from treating incontinence, though. Often, your healthcare provider can help figure out the cause of your bladder control issue and help make it better. You dont need to deal with it alone. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to treat incontinence so that you can lead a full and active life without worrying about leakage.
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Is Incontinence More Common In Women
Incontinence is much more commonly seen in women than in men. A large part of this is because of pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. Each of these events in a womans life can lead to bladder control issues. Pregnancy can be a short-term cause of incontinence and the bladder control issues typically get better after the baby is born. Some women experience incontinence after delivery because of the strain childbirth takes on the pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles are weakened, youre more likely to experience leakage issues. Menopause causes your body to go through a lot of change. Your hormones change during menopause and this can alter your bladder control.
Men can also experience incontinence, but it isnt as common as it is in women.
Urinary Problems Often Paired With Lower Back Pain In Men
14 Mar 2019 12:09 | Urban Vitality
Ninety per cent of men who go to see a urologist due to difficulty urinating also experience lower back pain. Tom Vredeveld, a physiotherapist and lecturer-researcher at the AUAS, is going to be studying links between these two common symptoms in order to improve future treatments to address both issues. He has been awarded an NWO Doctoral Grant for Teachers to pursue this research.
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In This Video Dmx Displays Prolotherapy Before And After Treatments
- In this video, we are using a Digital Motion X-Ray to illustrate a complete resolution of a pinched nerve in the neck and accompanying symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.
- A before digital motion x-ray at 0:11
- At 0:18 the DMX reveals a completely closed neural foramina and a partially closed neural foramina
- At 0:34 DXM three months later after this patient had received two Prolotherapy treatments
- At 0:46 the previously completely closed neural foramina is now opening more, releasing pressure on the nerve
- At 1:00 another DMX two months later and after this patient had received four Prolotherapy treatments
- At 1:14 the previously completely closed neural foramina is now opening normally during motion
Leg Pain And Weakness
Pain that originates in the lower back and travels down the legs also known as sciatica may signal a serious problem. Culprits may include a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. Both conditions cause the space around the spinal nerves to narrow, which may result in nerve pain and irritation.
Like back pain, pain through the back of your legs may be dull or severe and can come in quick bursts, worsened by coughing or sneezing. Discomfort caused by a herniated disc typically travels down one side of the body. Pain from spinal stenosis typically affects both legs, sometimes in their entirety.
Most pain caused by sciatica or a herniated disc will improve within six to eight weeks without surgery. But if pain in the arms or legs lasts longer than a week, becomes severe or is accompanied by muscle weakness or difficulty controlling your bowels or bladder, seek immediate medical attention.
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How Do Doctors Diagnose Cauda Equina Syndrome
Cauda equina syndrome is clinically diagnosed based on the characteristic symptoms described above. Often, the physical examination can reveal hyperactive reflexes of the lower extremities. Because the syndrome is a medical emergency, neurosurgery or spinal surgery consultants should be notified immediately. Cauda equina syndrome can be confirmed with neurologic and radiology testing but such testing should not be delayed.
Specialized neurologic nerve testing of the lower extremities, such as nerve conduction velocity and electromyography tests can indicate nerve irritation effects in the low back. Radiologic testing such as CT and MRI scanning can document the compressed spinal cord tissue.
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Causes Of Urinary Incontinence
Stress incontinence is usually the result of the weakening of or damage to the muscles used to prevent urination, such as the pelvic floor muscles and the urethral sphincter.
Urge incontinence is usually the result of overactivity of the detrusor muscles, which control the bladder.
Overflow incontinence is often caused by an obstruction or blockage in your bladder, which prevents it from emptying fully.
Total incontinence may be caused by a problem with the bladder from birth, a spinal injury, or a small, tunnel like hole that can form between the bladder and a nearby area .
Certain things can increase the chances of urinary incontinence, including:
- pregnancy and vaginal birth
Find out more about the causes of urinary incontinence.
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What Do Bladder Spasms Feel Like
Normally, the bladder gently fills with urine and you slowly become aware of the need to urinate. This feeling is your cue to start looking for a bathroom.
But in people who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or “detrusor contraction,” occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
People who have had such spasms describe them as a cramping pain and sometimes as a burning sensation. Some women with severe bladder spasms compared the muscle contractions to severe menstrual cramps and even labor pains experienced during childbirth.
How Do You Treat Back Pain And Frequent Urination
The treatment for back pain and frequent urination depends on the cause and how long symptoms persist.
Your doctor may prescribe medications or antibiotics for infections that cause back pain and frequent urination. They may also recommend over-the-counter pain relievers and exercises to stretch and strengthen the back. Surgery may be necessary if you have stones, a tumor, or an abscess.
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A Link Between Back Pain And Urinary Incontinence
While under chiropractic treatment, its not uncommon for a patient to report improvement for an issue that seems unrelated to their chief complaint. For example, a patient with a temporomandibular disorder may experience an improvement in their jaw symptoms following treatment to the neck or upper back. Or treatment to improve hip function may also benefit the ankle or knee. In this article, were going to look at how treatment for low back pain may help a patient who also has urinary incontinence issues.
There are many potential causes for UI, but one contributing factor is weak pelvic floor muscles. Thus, it makes sense that treatment to address impaired pelvic function may benefit some UI patients. A 2018 Cochrane systemic review concluded that pelvic floor muscle training is more effective than either a sham treatment or no treatment for some individuals with UI.
This is where back pain comes into play. Its estimated that back pain will affect more than 80% of us during our lifetime. We often adjust how we perform everyday activities to avoid pain, both consciously and unconsciously. These abnormal movements can place added stress on other parts of the body. In the case of the lower back, altered function in the hips and pelvis is common.
To locate a Doctor of Chiropractic who has taken The ChiroTrust Pledge, google The ChiroTrust Pledge and the name of a town in quotes.
Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Acupuncture. Some research has suggested that bladder-specific acupuncture may significantly reduce bladder muscle contractions and the urge to use the bathroom.
Biofeedback. Biofeedback is a method that teaches the mind how to control normally automated body functions. Bladder training is a type of biofeedback. Some doctors believe biofeedback and behavioral changes work better than medicines for treating urge incontinence. A combination of biofeedback and medications may work best.
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Bladder Incontinence In Women
Bladder incontinence is more common in women than in men. Other than the possible causes listed above, some things that may increase risk of bladder incontinence in women are:
- Changes to urinary or vaginal tissue from hormone therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy
- Hormonal changes from menopause
- Pelvic prolapse – the bladder, uterus, and or rectum may slip backward or downward into the vaginal canal because of weak pelvic wall muscles
- Pregnancy
- Hysterectomy
Effects On Your Bladder
If your spinal cord is damaged, the ability for the signals to travel back and forth is impaired, resulting in bladder emptying problems.
There are different types of damage to the spinal cord. The higher up in the spinal cord an injury occurs, the more muscles are affected. In the case of paraplegia, the spinal cord is so damaged that the legs are affected. In the case of tetraplegia, both arms and legs are affected.
Complete spinal cord damage means that the spinal cord has been completely cut off. No signals can travel along it, which means that all feeling and ability to move is gone below the point of injury.
If the damage is incomplete, you experience a certain loss of the ability to control your muscles. But some signals will still go through. If you have some motor control in your hands and arms, you will most likely be able to choose self-catheterization as a bladder emptying option.
If you have an injury lower in your spinal cord at or below anatomic level of TH12/L1 you lose muscle tone in the bladder and sphincter. Due to the fact that this region is responsible for reflex bladder emptying, a complete injury results in areflexia of the detrusor .
A low spinal cord injury results in retention or incomplete emptying, urinary tract infections and incontinence. First line treatment is CIC.
It is also worth mentioning that recent studies indicate that up to 30% of those who lose control of their bladder, may regain function again some time after injury.
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