Why Do Bladder And Bowel Incontinence Happen
When the bladder and bowel function normally, nerves tell certain muscles when to tense up and when to relax. Nerves in the spinal cord send messages from the brain to the bladder. Sphincter muscles control the flow of urine. Muscles in the rectum and anus control or release stool. These nerve and muscle processes allow urine and feces to be removed when you want them to.
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The Lowdown On Pelvic Prolapse
This condition occurs when the pelvic floor muscle, which supports the vagina, uterus, rectum, and bladder, becomes weakened over time, causing the pelvic floor to bulge out. One of the most common versions of this issue is called a rectocele, which occurs when there is a kind of hernia bulge in the colon. This can lead to constipation, as stool gets trapped in the bulge, preventing it from being evacuated in the normal fashion.
Pelvic prolapse often happens in older women, but it is not simply a part of getting older. Its actually a serious problem that requires correction for long-term health and wellness. Often, its the result of vaginal childbirths, but being overweight, having a family history of this issue, or having had a hysterectomy can all increase the likelihood of its occurrence as you age.
What Should I Expect When I Talk To My Doctor About My Constipation
Talking to your doctor or anyone about your bowel movements is not the most pleasant of topics. Know that your doctor is there for you. Doctors are trained health professionals who have discussed just about every health topic you can think of with their patients.
Your doctor will first ask you questions about your medical history, bowel movements, and your lifestyle and routines.
Medical history
- What are your current and past diseases/health conditions?
- Have you lost or gained any weight recently?
- Have you had any previous digestive tract surgeries?
- What medications and supplements do you take for other disorders and for the relief of constipation?
- Does anyone in your family have constipation or diseases of the digestive tract or a history of colon cancer?
- Have you had a colonoscopy?
Bowel movement history
- How often do you have a bowel movement?
- What do your stools look like?
- Have you noticed any blood or red streaks in your stool?
- Have you ever seen blood in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper after you wipe?
Lifestyle habits and routines
- What food and beverages do you eat and drink?
- What is your exercise routine?
Your doctor will also perform a physical exam, which includes a check of your vital signs . He or she will use a stethoscope to listen to the sounds in your abdomen. Your abdomen will also be touched to check for pain, tenderness, swelling, and lumps.
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Using Palliative Care To Ease Discomfort
For both urinary and bowel incontinence that is caused by compression of nerves in the spinal cord as a result of prostate cancer that has spread to the spine or bones, palliative treatments for metastasized cancer may be of use. These treatments include radiotherapy, medication, or surgical removal of spinal cord tumors. However, these treatment options are not indicated for every situation. Your doctor will help you determine what path is right for you and to improve your quality of life. As always, coping with quality of life symptoms like these can take a toll on an individual or their caretaker both mentally and physically. For this reason, it can be a good idea to consult a therapist or counselor if needed for extra support.
Should You Remove Your Gallbladder You Dont Need It Anyway
The surgical removal of the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy. This is a common procedure that with rare exception, is unnecessary and does not address the problem. Some people who have had their gallbladder removed will see absolutely no change in their symptoms while others may have their symptoms 100% resolved. Others who have had a cholecystectomy may no longer be able to eat high fat foods as their body is unable to handle too much fat digestion at once due to the removal of their bile storage tank. However, the body in its infinite wisdom can often form a new little storage pouch in the area of the common bile duct to store some bile for when its needed.
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Constipation And Bladder Infection Are Related To Each Other
When you suffer from the urinary tract infection, usually it is caused by the E.coli bacteria. E.coli is the bacteria that reside in the large intestine. Unfortunately, often such bacteria get access to the urinary tract and then transfer to the bladder via the urethra. Hence, you suffer from the bladder infection along with constipation. This is how constipation and UTI are related to each other.
Gallbladder Physiology: Bile Is So Good For You
Lets take a brief lesson in gallbladder physiology here, and Ill make it interesting and relevant to your everyday health. The gallbladder is a small organ that sits tucked up underneath the liver in the upper right side of your abdomen. It concentrates and stores bile produced by the liver, and along with the enzyme lipase secreted by the pancreas, it aids in the digestion of fats in the gut. When fats from food enter the digestive tract they stimulate the secretion of a type of hormone called cholecystokinin in the upper part of the small intestine the duodenum. This, along with the stomachs secretion of hydrochloric acid, signals the gallbladder to release some of its approximately 50mL of bile into the gut to help aid in digestion of those fats. Since by most, its viewed as a storage tank and nothing more, its often seen as only a nuisance when it comes to digestive problems and pain expendable at the first sight of problems and removable with surgical ease. But theres so much more to it than just storage.
Speaking of hormones, just a few years ago it was demonstrated that the gallbladder also plays a role in insulin regulation and that -like cells that produce insulin in the pancreas also occur in the gallbladder. Insulin is also metabolized by the liver and can therefore have an effect on the bile salts so diets high in refined carbohydrates and those with insulin resistance will also be more likely to have troubles with their gallbladder.
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Main Reasons Why Constipation Causes Uti
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There is a known correlation between UTIs and constipation. Why does constipation cause UTIs? In this post, I explain the mechanics of the process and will list some easy peasy preventive measures.
Lets be clear on the definition. According to WebMD here are the symptoms of constipation:
- Straining during a bowel movement more than 25% of the time
- Hard stools more than 25% of the time
- Incomplete evacuation more than 25% of the time
- Two or fewer bowel movements in a week.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Constipation
Symptoms of constipation include:
- You have fewer than three bowel movements a week.
- Your stools are dry, hard and/or lumpy.
- Your stools are difficult or painful to pass.
- You have a stomach ache or cramps.
- You feel bloated and nauseous.
- You feel that you havent completely emptied your bowels after a movement.
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Learn How To Poop Without Straining
The cool thing about the pelvic floor is it can lengthen and stretch A LOT and is meant to. Its when the stretching become repetitive and combined with other habits that can lead to problems.
Tapping into this ability can make a world of difference when you are pooping.
The pelvic floor lengthens the most during inhale. Practicing by breathing downward into your pelvis in various positions will help your body understand and sense what this feels like. This isnt quite enough though. Since your pelvic floor wants to contract on exhale, you have to make an effort to remain lengthened and relaxed while you exhale. Combining this voluntary bulge and an abdominal contraction assists your peristaltic action to move the poop through the colon and out.
What Is An Enlarged Prostate
The prostate is a small gland, usually about the size of a walnut, that is situated just below the bladder and above the penis. The urethra passes through the prostate, which produces fluid that is mixed with sperm to create semen. When the prostate enlarges, it places pressure on the bladder and the urethra, which can cause urinary problems.
The prostate is made up of four zones:
- Peripheral zone. The area most easily felt during the standard digital rectal exam and the zone from which prostate cancer tends to develop.
- Transition zone. This surrounds the part of the urethra that passes through the prostate. It enlarges as men age, causing benign prostatic hyperplasia and consequent urinary symptoms.
- Central zone
The prostate can become enlarged for a variety of reasons. The most common are:
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Managing Bladder And Bowel Incontinence
Some common treatments are:
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Changes in food or drink. Increasing your fiber intake can help manage diarrhea and constipation. Drinking plenty of fluids can also ease constipation. Not drinking fluids at certain times can help manage overactive bladder and urinary incontinence.
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Exercises. Kegel exercises can strengthen the sphincter muscles and pelvic floor. This can help you have better control.
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Medicines. Some medicines can help control bowel incontinence. Antidiarrheal medicines can help manage diarrhea. And medicine can help bladder muscles relax to give you better control.
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Keeping a bathroom schedule. Setting a regular schedule for using the toilet can give you better control. This includes attempting to urinate or move your bowels at the same time each day.
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Electrical stimulation. This therapy can stimulate damaged nerves. This may give you better muscle control in your bladder or bowel.
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Surgery. In rare cases, you may need surgery to repair damage to muscles or nerves.
Your healthcare provider will work with you to create a treatment plan.
Constipation And Pelvic Prolapse
You spend your days running here and there, and its not often you get a chance to sit on the toilet and have a bowel movement. But even when you have the urge and the time to go, youre not able to get anything moving. You get plenty of dietary fiber, you drink lots of water, and youre active, so what gives? The truth is, this could be a sign of pelvic prolapse.
Dr. Neeraj Kohli and the rest of our team at Boston Urogyn treat women living in the Massachusetts communities of Wellesley, Weymouth, Oak Bluffs, and Hudson. If going is a regular problem for you, we want to help find the reason behind your chronic constipation. If it is pelvic prolapse, we can treat it safely and effectively.
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Gallbladder Health Part I: Be Good To Your Gallbladder Its There For A Reason
Gallbladder problems including gallbladder attacks are very common reasons for which people seek medical care. The pain and discomfort can unfortunately result in the removal of the little green organ followed by dietary restrictions . But of course, all of our organs are there for one reason or another and although we can live without the gallbladder, removing it is simply removing a symptom of a problem, not the actual cause. In this two-part article on the gallbladder Ill discuss why you have a gallbladder, why you should want to keep it , warning signs that your gallbladder isnt working well, risk factors, and natural treatments and lifestyle changes you can make to improve your gallbladder and overall health yeah! If I can just save one more gallbladder Ill be a happy guy.
Treatments And Prevention Of Constipation
Probiotics, high fiber diets and stool softeners are all ways to avoid constipation, says Dr. Rice.
Probiotics are found in live culture yogurt and kefir, and in the form of pills. Foods high in fiber include lentils, peas, fruits and vegetables.
A sedentary lifestyle promotes constipation.
If you have a desk job, get up every 45 minutes or so and walk around for a few minutes.
If you dont have a workout regimen, then start one. Excessive inertia is a risk factor for constipation.
For more information on the UTI Tracker, you can go to utitracker.com.
Dr. Rice is with Inova Medical Group in Fairfax, VA, and her clinical interests include bladder, kidney and prostate cancer, minimally invasive surgery and robotic surgery.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. Shes also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Further Help For Constipation
You will find further information about causes and how its diagnosed on our Constipation information sheet.
If you are concerned about your problem and it is starting to affect your day to day life make an appointment to see your doctor, continence nurse or specialist physiotherapist. A continence nurse and specialist physiotherapist are healthcare professionals who specialise in bladder and bowel problems.
How Does Obesity Work
Currently, over 30% of American men are obese based on a body mass index of > 30, about two decades past, this figure was two times less.Usually, you have an excessive body mass, not because of muscles but fat. Fat or how it called adipose tissue consists mostly of lipid-rich cells which are the energy storage of the body. It has been shown both on humans and animals that adipose tissue is a site where the high activity of enzyme aromatase is observed. Aromatase converts testosterone a male hormone produced in the testicles and making you masculine, into estrogen, or the most common form of estrogen estradiol. Although E2 is called a female sex hormone, it plays a crucial role in multiple functions, including reproductive, in mens bodies as well. And it works perfectly as long as you did not gain extra weight. Obese men have more aromatase activity than normal, more T irreversibly converts into E2 disrupting their balance. Males with increasing obesity have on average twofold higher estrogen levels in both systemic circulation and locally in the prostate. And of course, these hormonal changes not only make a man more feminine affecting his body shape, sexual sphere, and even his social behavior but have a significant influence on prostate health as well.
BMI > 30 has been found to correlate with higher prostate weight, prostate-specific antigen , and more aggressive prostate cancer . BMI thus is an additional risk factor besides PSA.
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Consequences Of Being Constipated
Muscle tears: All that pushing and straining can lead to muscle tears of the sphincter, which regulate bowel movements. Over time, this contributes to inflammation, pain, and bleeding.
Appetite changes: When youre constipated, you probably arent very hungry because you feel bloated and gassy. Constipation begins to block the upper gastrointestinal tract, which can make you feel fuller quicker or not hungry at all.
Dehydration: When you are dehydrated, it can trigger constipation, and vice versa. Symptoms of dehydration include headaches, dizziness, and periods of sweating.
Hemorrhoids: You develop a higher risk of hemorrhoids when constipated because of all the pushing you do. Hemorrhoids are treatable but can be itchy and painful, so its best to prevent them.
Leakage: The colon is very close to the bladder, so when youre constipated, this can put added pressure on the bladder. This increases the risk of urinary leaks or the risk of bladder infections.
Bloating and gas: These are the most common complaints from constipated individuals. Bacteria in the gut begins to form gas, which increases the passing.
Nausea: In some cases, people may feel nauseous or even vomit as a result of their constipation. Ease symptoms by consuming soups, tea, toast, or ginger.
Loose stools: Constipation is the blockage of stool, but with such obstruction, loose stool tries to get around it. You may see loose stool in the toilet as a result but still be constipated.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
As the second most common cancer found in American men, prostate cancer typically doesnt present warning signs in its early stages, but several signs and symptoms can signal the disease in its more advanced stages. Men of all ages need to watch for these warning signs. Here are the signs and symptoms we see most commonly among patients at Regional Cancer Care Associates.
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Treatment For Ibs And Urinary Problems
There are several treatment options that can help with both urinary problems and IBS. However, the most appropriate methods will depend on the exact cause:
Overactive Bladder Syndrome
People with OAB and IBS may benefit from treatment with anticholinergic drugs. They work by targeting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to regulate smooth muscle contractions in the bladder and bowel.
Another option is tricyclic antidepressants. These medicines alter activity in the central nervous system to control bowel and bladder activity.
In severe cases, Botox injections may be useful as they can help to relax the bladder muscles.
Interstitial Cystitis
Tricyclic antidepressants may also be useful for treating interstitial cystitis. In addition, doctors may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve inflammation and pain.
Another medication for interstitial cystitis is a drug called Elmiron. However, this medicine can thin the blood and patients should not use it alongside NSAIDs.
Finally, treatments such as physical therapy, biofeedback and nerve stimulation may offer some relief.
Chronic Prostatitis
In some cases, prostatitis can be the result of an infection. Therefore, antibiotics may be an effective treatment.
Anticholinergic medications and drugs called alpha blockers might also help. The latter work by blocking adrenaline receptors to relax smooth muscle.