Loss Of Bowel Control
Bowel incontinence the inability to control bowel movements can occur when you are unaware that your rectum is full. If you cant feel the sensation that you need to empty the bowel, you may pass stool without knowing it.
Sometimes a bulge in an intervertebral disc in the lower back irritates a nerve. When this happens, bladder and/or bowel dysfunction can occur along with pain depending on which nerve a herniated disc irritates.
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Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation
Your posterior tibial nerve runs down your leg to your ankle. It contains nerve fibres that start from the same place as nerves that run to your bladder and pelvic floor. It is thought that stimulating the tibial nerve will affect these other nerves and help control bladder symptoms, such as the urge to pass urine.
During the procedure, a very thin needle is inserted through the skin of your ankle and a mild electric current is sent through it, causing a tingling feeling and causing your foot to move. You may need 12 sessions of stimulation, each lasting around half an hour, one week apart.
Some studies have shown that this treatment can offer relief from OAB and urge incontinence for some people, although there is not yet enough evidence to recommend tibial nerve stimulation as a routine treatment.
Tibial nerve stimulation is only recommended in a few cases where urge incontinence has not improved with medication and you dont want to have botulinum toxin A injections or sacral nerve stimulation.
Treating Fainting Associated With Low Blood Pressure
Fainting can occur when your blood pressure drops as you stand up. This drop in blood pressure is called orthostatic hypotension .
Avoiding anything that lowers your blood pressure should help prevent fainting. For example, avoid becoming dehydrated by increasing your fluid intake.
Your doctor may also advise you to eat small, frequent meals rather than large ones, and increase your salt intake.
Taking certain medications can also decrease blood pressure. However, don’t stop taking a prescribed medication unless your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional in charge of your care advises you to do so.
Read more about treating low blood pressure .
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Medications For Male Incontinence
For men with urge incontinence, medications may help. Some relax the muscles to help prevent unwanted contractions of the bladder. Others block the nerve signals to the bladder that make it contract at the wrong time. Drugs prescribed to shrink an enlarged prostate can help with other urinary problems. Drugs like diuretic water pills can actually trigger or worsen incontinence.
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How Is Loss Of Bladder Control Treated
Non-surgical treatments are often recommended to help treat bladder control issues. These include:
- Physical therapy and exercise
- Reducing intake of alcohol and caffeine
- Electrical stimulation of the nerves that control the bladder
- Bladder retraining by going to the bathroom at set times
- Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles
- Biofeedback to help patients learn to control the bladder muscles
Depending on the type of leakage and how bothersome it isand if patients do not respond to the non-surgical treatmentssurgery and other interventions can be very successful. In most cases, they can be done as an outpatient procedure.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 08/26/2015.
References
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Box : Causes Of Syncope
Syncope is a cardiovascular disorder. Causes can thus be divided into the following:
Cardiac causes
Due to underlying structural heart disease
- Aortic stenosis
- Severe ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction
- Some forms of congenital heart defect
- Left atrial myxoma
- Pulmonary embolism
Due to an arrhythmia
- Tachyarrhythmiasfor example, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Brugada syndrome, longQT syndrome, preexcited atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia
- Bradycardiasfor example, atrioventricular block, sinus node disease
Vascular causes
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
How Will Syncope Affect My Life
With the proper diagnosis and treatment, syncope can be managed and controlled. If you have had an episode of syncope, there is about a 30% chance you will have another episode. Your risk of another episode and how the condition affects you depends on several factors, including the cause and your age, gender and other medical problems you have. If you have questions about your risks, please talk to your doctor.
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What To Do If Someone Faints
According to the NHS, if you or someone around you feels like theyre about to faint, you should:
And, if someone around you faints, you should:
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Tips For Caregivers: Reducing Accidents
Incontinence often happens due to timing. It may help to recognize potential signs that a person needs to go, such as straining, turning red in the face, and tugging at their clothing. If you help them get dressed, use clothing thats easy to remove such as pants with elastic waistbands instead of buttons and belts.
One successful technique is prompted voiding. This is a type of bladder retraining that helps people to maintain a regular bathroom schedule. For example, every two hours, ask if theyve had an accident, have the person use the toilet, and praise successes.
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Incontinence In Older People
In some cases, older people have a higher risk of incontinence because of a medical condition, which may be treatable. Medical causes of incontinence in older people include:
- urinary tract infection this is where bacteria get into the tube that empties pee from the bladder out of the body. This can lead to infection of the bladder or kidneys. Symptoms can include a sudden urge to pee, pain or a burning feeling when peeing, a fever and urinary incontinence. A urinary tract infection can usually be treated with antibiotics
- constipation this is uncomfortable and makes both emptying and controlling the bladder more difficult. Constipation is also a very common cause of faecal incontinence. When the bowel gets full of very hard poo which cannot be passed, liquid poo can leak out from around the edges of the blockage. It is easy to confuse this with diarrhoea
- prostate gland problems these affect men, and may be treatable
- side effects of medication the GP may be able to address these by changing the persons prescription or altering the dose
- other gut conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome .
Many people find it embarrassing to talk about these problems, and this can stop them from seeking help from health professionals. GPs and specialists deal with issues like these frequently and its important to get advice and support from them. Medical causes can often be treated or managed.
When Should I See A Doctor
People normally recover quickly after fainting. Fainting can be the sign of a medical condition, like a heart or brain disorder. It’s always worth checking with your doctor, especially if you haven’t fainted before.
You should see a doctor if you:
- have fainted and do not know the cause
- have recently fainted more than once
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What To Do If Someone Experiences A Seizure Or Psychogenic Blackout
Unlike periods of fainting, most seizures can be recognized by stiffness and jerking movements in the body.
If you notice someone displaying those symptoms, the NHS advises you:
Fainting Associated With Bodily Functions
Fainting can occur when a bodily function or activity such as coughing places a sudden strain on the autonomic nervous system. This is called situational syncope.
There’s no specific treatment for situational syncope, but avoiding the triggers may help. For example, if coughing caused you to faint, you may be able to suppress your urge to cough and avoid fainting.
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Causes Of Loss Of Bladder And Bowel Control
Causes of Bowel Incontinence
Causes of Urine Incontinence
It is not always necessary to have a noticeable cause of loss of bladder and bowel control, but your doctor can help you identify the best treatment in this case. Certain conditions can cause urinary incontinence. For instance, it may happen due to poor overall health, vaginal childbirth, and any damage to the nervous system.
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Treatment For Incontinence And Continence Problems
If you have incontinence or continence problems, you should seek help. There is a range of management options available. The treatments depend on the type of incontinence you have and what you hope to achieve.An incontinence management plan will usually include several of:
- adequate fluid intake of up to two litres each day
- incontinence aids such as pads, condom drainage or catheters.
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Fainting Vs Seizure: How To Tell The Difference
Aug 12, 2019Cedars-Sinai Staff
Ever had an experience where you or someone you were with blacked out and woke up with no idea what happened?
When someone loses consciousness, doctors usually ask the patient to walk them through what they experienced immediately before the episode.
“Usually the recollection of the event, either from the patient or a bystander, helps offer clues about whether they’ve experienced a seizure or a fainting episode,” says Dr. Jeffrey M. Chung, a neurologist and director of the Cedars-Sinai Epilepsy Program.
To function optimally, the brain requires oxygen and electrical signals. The oxygen comes from the heart pumping blood to the brain while electrical signals come from the cells as they move electrolytes around.
Both seizures and syncope, the medical name for fainting, are your brain’s way of telling you one of these processes isn’t working properly.
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Regarding The Epidemiology Of Blackouts:
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I Just Passed Out Should I Be Worried
Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness which can be frightening to experience or witness.
Its how the body reacts to environmental triggers like pain and emotional distress and in most cases, although it can appear alarming, isnt always cause for concern.
However, if someone experiences multiple episodes of fainting, complaints of violent shaking, loss of bladder control, or long periods of blackout, their condition should be investigated by a physician who can decide if treatment is necessary.
In some cases, its important other people witness the episode to determine if help is needed. So, in the event it happens to you or someone close to you, here are three main reasons why someone might lose consciousness:
What Are The Symptoms Of Incontinence
The main symptom of incontinence is a leakage of urine. This could be a constant dripping of urine or an occasional experience of leakage. If you have incontinence, you might have large amounts or small amounts of leaked urine. You might experience leakage for a wide variety of reasons often depending on the type of incontinence you have.
You might leak urine when you:
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Try To Keep Bowel Movements Regular
- As your bladder and bowel are next to each other, a full bowel affects bladder function.
- Many people find their bladder control problems are worse if they are constipated , which can happen if you dont empty your bowel regularly or dont eat enough fibre.
- Avoid straining while emptying your bowels as this can overstretch the muscles of your pelvic floor and may lead to weakness developing.
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Causes Of Urge Incontinence
The urgent and frequent need to pass urine can be caused by a problem with the detrusor muscle in the wall of the bladder. The detrusor muscles relax to allow the bladder to fill with urine, then contract when you go to the toilet to let the urine out.
Sometimes the detrusor muscle contract too often, creating an urgent need to go to the toilet. This is known as having an overactive bladder. The reason your detrusor muscle contracts too often may not be clear, but possible causes include:
- drinking too much alcohol or caffeine
- poor fluid intake this can cause strong, concentrated urine to collect in your bladder, which can irritate your bladder and cause symptoms of overactivity
- conditions affecting the lower urinary tract , such as urinary tract infections or tumours in the bladder
- neurological conditions
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Urinary Incontinence In Men
Bladder leakage in men can be caused by a birth defect of the urinary tract.
Men also have the risk of contracting urinary incontinence with a history of prostate cancer. The treatment from radiation and medication may result in temporary or permanent bladder leakage.
An enlarged prostate without cancer cells may lead to a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. This condition causes the prostate to expand and apply pressure to the urethra, resulting in the walls of the bladder also expanding and thickening. Over time, the bladder weakens and retains some volume after urination.
Reduce Your Fluid Intake
Drinking water is good for your body, and its important to stay hydrated, but overdoing fluid intake can lead to bladder urgency and leaks. The key to healthy fluid intake is maintaining a good balance. Try to drink water when thirsty, but not more of it than your body asks for. And keep an eye on the color of your urine. If its clear, you could probably cut back on fluid intake, but dark urine is a sign that you need more fluids.
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What Else Can I Do For My Vasovagal Syncope
Many people who have vasovagal syncope can limit its impact on their lives, especially when they learn to recognize the symptoms of an attack. Your healthcare provider can help you learn more about the following:
Recognizing symptoms
Knowing what it feels like before you have an attack can allow you to sit or lay down so you’re not hurt if you fall.
Anti-syncope techniques
If you can recognize an attack before it happens, you may be able to stop it. Your healthcare provider can teach you techniques that keep your blood pressure high enough so that you dont pass out. These include:
- Squeezing a foam or rubber ball. Clenching your fist like this may help you stay conscious.
- Arm-tensing. Curl both of your hands like youre holding something while wearing mittens. Then, with one hand facing palm-down and the other facing palm-up, hook your curled hands together. Once you have a good grip, try to pull your hands apart.
- Leg-crossing. This technique is handy if you can’t find a place to sit down. While standing, cross your legs so that one knee is behind the other. Make sure you can keep your balance and then tense up the muscles in your legs, belly and buttocks. This keeps blood higher up in your body, which can keep you from passing out.
What Else Could It Be
The most common cause of blacking out is fainting. Other causes include epileptic seizures, syncope due to anxiety and other rare causes of faints.
Other causes of blacking out may be due to low blood sugar and lack of oxygen from a variety of causes. It may be due to over-breathing but this is rare.
You may also black out after a fall or blow to the head or due to excess alcohol or street drugs.
Strokes and mini strokes can also result in a blackout.
Prolonged blackout, confusion after the event, incomplete recovery and tongue biting all suggest that the cause is not a simple faint.
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What Is The Outlook
Outlook depends on the underlying cause but is generally very good. In young people, when the blackouts are not associated with any heart or nervous system problem, there is nothing to worry about. In older people, there may be a risk to their health but this is due to the underlying condition and the risks from falling.