Symptoms Of Urinary Incontinence
Having urinary incontinence means you pass urine unintentionally.
When and how this happens varies depending on the type of urinary incontinence you have.
Although you may feel embarrassed about seeking help, it’s a good idea to see your GP if you have any type of urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence is a common problem and seeing your GP can be the first step towards finding a way to effectively manage the problem.
Other Types Of Urinary Incontinence
- Overflow incontinence This occurs when a person is unable to empty their bladder completely and it overflows as new urine is produced. It’s often found in people with diabetes or spinal cord injuries.
- Mixed incontinence You show evidence of more than one type.
- Functional incontinence This type of incontinence has less to do with a bladder disorder and more to do with the logistics of getting to a bathroom in time. It’s usually found in elderly or disabled people who have normal or near normal bladder control but cannot get to the toilet in time because of mobility limitations or confusion.
- Nocturia The need to urinate twice or more during the night, usually affecting men and women over the age of 60. In men, nocturia can be a symptom of an enlarged prostate.
Find Your Pelvic Floor Muscles
Overactive bladder is one common cause of bladder control problems, especially among women. Doing regular Kegel exercises can help treat this condition. These exercises also called pelvic floor muscle exercises.
Kegel exercises are relatively easy to do. But before you can start, you need to find your pelvic floor muscles. The next time you urinate, try to stop your flow of urine midstream. The muscles you use to do that are your pelvic floor muscles.
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What Damage Can Be Done By Stretching The Bladder
Enlarged Bladder: Symptoms, Treatments, and Causes
- This can lead to a loss of elasticity in the bladder walls. Typical forms of obstruction are kidney stones and tumors. Prompt recognition of these conditions can prevent the bladder from becoming enlarged. Some people have trouble urinating.
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Natural Remedies For An Overactive Bladder
1. Kegel Exercises
If a weak pelvic floor is at the root of your OAB then kegel exercises can help a lot. These pelvic floor exercises can be done anywhere at anytime and they benefit both men and women. When done regularly, they can really help an overactive bladder.
Melody Denson, MD, a board-certified urologist with the Urology Team in Austin, TX, recommends these exercises for OAB. She says, They will trigger a reflex mechanism to relax the bladder. If you feel a tremendous urge to urinate, doing a kegel before you run to the bathroom will help settle down the bladder spasm and help you hold it until you get there.
2. Avoid Dietary Triggers
Significantly reduce the following foods and drinks that are known to contribute to overactive bladder:
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What Are The Types Of Bladder Surgeries
Most bladder surgeries are now done robotically, meaning that your surgeon will just make a small number of incisions and then place ports that allow the use of robotic arms to perform the surgery. Few are open surgeries where theres a long cut. Types of surgeries include:
Bladder cancer is the most common reason for people to undergo bladder surgery. Depending on the stage and progression of bladder cancer, surgery can be used in combination with other therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. To treat bladder cancer, many different types of procedures may be done. Those procedures include:
How Do You Fix A Weak Bladder 18 Tips Included
The bladder is the organ that stores urine. When its full, it sends a signal to your brain telling you when to go to the bathroom.
A weak bladder can make this difficult for people who suffer from urinary incontinence or another condition, like diabetes. If you want to learn how to fix a weak bladder, read on!
There are some easy things that you can do at home that will help with fixing your weak bladder problem!
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What Are The Possible Complications Of Bladder Surgery
There can be complications of bladder surgery. You are at higher risk if you are over the age of 60 or designated female at birth. Possible problems include:
- Gastrointestinal problems: Abdominal surgeries can interfere with your bowel functions. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to handle GI issues.
- Reproductive health in men: Bladder cancer can spread to your prostate. During bladder surgery, your prostate may also be removed, which may impact your fertility.
- Reproductive health in women: If your uterus is removed as part of bladder cancer surgery, you won’t be able to get pregnant.
- Urinary diversion: If you have a procedure that reroutes your urine , you may have complications. Pee could leak from the opening made in your body, and there could be an infection.
- Hormonal changes: If your bladder cancer has spread to your ovaries, they may need to be removed. Menopause will begin.
- Inability to urinate: Some people, especially women who have had more than their bladder removed, are unable to pee right away. This usually lasts no longer than a week. Youll be given a catheter and a leg bag . Your healthcare provider will teach you how to operate the equipment.
It Could Be A Sign Of An Underlying Condition
Naturally, later in life, people can experience incontinence because of increased production of urine related to aging kidneys. Bladder function is also heavily impacted by changing bladder capacity and chronic medical conditions like diabetes, says Fairchild. Chronic straining, coughing and/or constipation can all put stress on the bladder, she explains.
But leakage can also be sign of a more serious, underlying health condition, according to a 2018 National Poll on Healthy Aging.â For example, poor heart function could be the culprit behind frequent urination while sleeping.
If fluid is pooling in your legs during the day, when you lay down, that fluid redistributes and increases urine production, says Fairchild.
Although bladder leakage is common, discuss your particular symptoms with your doctor.
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How Is Small Bladder Treated
Once diagnosed with small bladder, the patient would need to talk to their doctor and determine the most suitable and safest course of treatment to relieve their symptoms. A combination of treatments including lifestyle changes, medications, dietary changes, and surgery can help to effectively manage the problem of small bladder:
Causes Of Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence occurs when the pressure inside your bladder as it fills with urine becomes greater than the strength of your urethra to stay closed .
Any sudden extra pressure on your bladder, such as laughing or sneezing, can then cause urine to leak out of your urethra.
Your urethra may not be able to stay closed if the muscles in your pelvis are weak or damaged, or your urethral sphincter is damaged.
These problems may be caused by:
- damage during childbirth, particularly if the child was born vaginally rather than by caesarean section
- increased pressure on your tummy, for example because you are pregnant or obese
- damage to the bladder or nearby area during surgery, such as the removal of the womb in women or removal of the prostate gland in men
- neurological conditions, which affect the brain and spinal cord, such as Parkinsons disease or multiple sclerosis
- certain connective tissue disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- certain medications
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What Are The Treatments For An Overactive Bladder
Once tests have been done to determine the cause your overactive bladder, your doctor will suggest a solution that will alleviate your symptoms and minimise any side effects. And while the goal is obviously to find a simple, effective solution, it could be one or a combination of treatments including lifestyle changes, medications and/or surgery.
Lifestyle changes
- Bladder Training and Scheduled Voiding This method teaches the bladder to steadily hold urine over time, which can help build a tolerance to the urgency that comes with an overactive bladder.
- Double Voiding This involves urinating twice within a few minutes in between to void any residual urine in the bladder.
- Kegel exercises These are pelvic exercises to help manage urge incontinence in an overactive bladder by helping strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor and urinary sphincter.
- Fluid and Diet Management including:
- maintaining a schedule of the timing and amount of daily fluid intake
- limiting caffeine and acidic drinks such as coffee, cranberry and citrus juices
- limiting alcohol
- eating foods high in fibre, such as flaxseed, or taking fibre supplements.
Medications
- Anticholinergics
Solutions For A Leaky Bladder
Research has found that at least half of people with urinary incontinence dont discuss the condition with a health care provider. But theres no need to feel embarrassed. If you have a leaky bladder, youre definitely not alone. Bladder leakage, or urinary incontinence, affects women and men of all ages, though it becomes more common later in life.
And its definitely worth discussing, because of the many ways it can interfere with enjoying daily lifefrom exercise and travel to social outings and romance, says E. James Wright, M.D., director of urology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes
According to the Urology Care Foundation, women are at greater risk for UI than men because they have a shorter urethra than men. As a result, any weakness or damage to the urethra in a woman is more likely to cause urinary incontinence. This is because there is less muscle keeping the urine in your bladder until you are ready to urinate.
Diagnosis Of Neurogenic Bladder
Neurogenic bladder involves the nervous system and the bladder, and doctors conduct a variety of tests to determine the status of both. Tests include
- Urodynamic studies to measure bladder pressure, the ability of the bladder to hold urine, bladder capacity, urine flows, and bladder emptying
- Cystoscopy, a test in which a telescope is used to examine the bladder and urethra. Cystoscopy is used to rule out kidney stones or bladder damage.
- Nervous system evaluation, performed by neurologists, who evaluate the nervous system in people with neurogenic bladder using imaging tests like MRI and CT scans.
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How Is Incontinence Treated
There are many different factors that your healthcare provider will consider when creating a treatment plan for your incontinence. The type of incontinence and the ways it affects your life are both big considerations. Your provider will also talk to you about the type of treatment you are most comfortable with. There are three main types of treatment you can explore for incontinence medications, lifestyle changes and surgery. Each option has pros and cons that your provider will discuss with you.
Medications to treat incontinence
There are quite a few medications that can reduce leakage. Some of these drugs stabilize the muscle contractions that cause problems with an overactive bladder. Other medications actually do the opposite thing relaxing muscles to allow your bladder to empty completely. Hormone replacement therapies can often involving replacing estrogen thats decreased during menopause may also help restore normal bladder function.
In many cases, medications can work very well to return normal function to the bladder. Your provider will carefully select a medication that matches your specific needs. Often, your provider will start you on a low dose of the medication and then increase it slowly. This is done to try and reduce your risks of side effects and to keep track of how well the medication is working to treat your incontinence.
Common medications that can be used to treat incontinence include:
Lifestyle changes to manage incontinence
What Causes Small Bladder
The cause of a small bladder has still not been identified accurately. However, some factors are known to contribute to the improper bladder function, involuntary contraction of the bladder muscle, and other symptoms related to an overactive bladder. Certain nervous system abnormalities which cause a small bladder are stroke, dementia, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons disease. Other causes include trauma to the abdomen or pelvis, nerve damage or trauma resulting from surgery or some therapy, bladder stones, bladder tumour or cancer, urinary tract infection and enlarged prostate. The factors which heighten the risk of small bladder are: Age, gender, obesity, spinal injury, diabetes and pregnancy.
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Sweating Too Much Or Too Little
If youre sweating profusely while standing outside on a cool autumn day or not sweating at all when going for a jog under the hot summer sun, it could be nerve damage.
Symptoms like this could result from dehydration or high blood pressure, but they can also indicate that the nerves carrying information from your brain to your sweat glandswhich help regulate your internal temperatureare damaged.
How To Handle Urinary Incontinence After Childbirth
Women who expect to leave all the pregnancy aches and pains behind them after childbirth soon find that postpartum symptoms can be almost just as bad.
These effects can take their tole in different ways and can last up to 6 weeks or longer. Soreness, depression, bleeding, fatigue, and constipation are just a few of the unpleasant outcomes women may experience after giving birth. One of the most common complaints from women is how to handle symptoms of urinary incontinence in the weeks following childbirth. Lets explore some answers.
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When Should I Contact My Usual Healthcare Provider
Contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of any of the conditions that require bladder surgery to treat. Bladder cancer symptoms you should report include:
- Hematuria . This is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. Your urine may look red, or it could look pink or dark brown.
- An urgent need to pee.
- Frequent urination.
What Is Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the uncontrolled leakage of urine from the bladder. The amount of urine leakage varies from child to child, as does the time of day when it occurs. Accidents are very common while toilet training but if leaks are still occurring when the child is five years old or so, they may warrant further investigation.
There are different types of urinary incontinence:
- Urge incontinence This is when there is a sudden urge to use the toilet but there might not be time to get to a toilet before leakage occurs.
- Overflow incontinence This occurs when the bladder is never fully emptied so gradually gets fuller and fuller until leakage occurs.
- Mixed incontinence This is when there are different types of incontinence occurring in the same person.
- Stress incontinence This is the most common type in adults, when leakage occurs when sneezing, coughing or exercising.
Urinary incontinence affects many people in the UK of all ages. Although it may seem a normal part of childhood, it is often worth requesting a check-up if problems are occurring after starting school.
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Medications For Treating Small Bladder
Some medications like oestrogen, anti-depressants, anticholinergics, and botulinum toxin type A have proven helpful in reducing and alleviating the symptoms related to a small bladder. Since these medications come with the risk of side effects, one should only take them only after consulting a doctor.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day unless your doctor advises you otherwise.
Many people with urinary incontinence avoid drinking fluids, as they feel it causes more problems. However, limiting your fluid intake makes incontinence worse, because it reduces your bladder’s capacity.
Not drinking enough fluid can also cause constipation or make it worse.
Find out which are the healthiest drinks.
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Can Nerve Stimulation Help Overactive Bladder
Yes, nerve stimulation can help improve OAB. Your nerves help tell your brain that your bladder is full. By treating your nerves, you can improve your bladder control.
Nerve stimulation is a reversible treatment. Healthcare providers only recommend it if other treatments dont work.
There are several types of nerve stimulation treatments. These include:
Sacral nerve stimulation
Sacral nerve stimulation is a therapy that electrically stimulates the nerves that control your bladder.
A healthcare provider will implant a small device called a neurotransmitter under the skin near your upper buttock area. The neurotransmitter sends mild electrical impulses through a wire near your sacral nerve. Your sacral nerve is a nerve in your lower back. The impulses help you control your bladder.
Sacral nerve stimulation can reduce the number of times you have to use the bathroom or the number of times you accidentally leak pee. Its overall very effective. Its also an outpatient procedure, so you can go home afterward.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation
Percutaneous tibial stimulation sends small nerve impulses to a nerve branch near your ankle. It helps stimulate bladder control.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation is an outpatient procedure. Many people need 12 weekly sessions and then monthly maintenance sessions afterward.
Botulinum toxin injections
Botox® is the most well-known botulinum toxin brand. A healthcare provider injects Botox into your bladder wall using a cystoscope.
Best Remedies For Bladder Infections
About bladder infections
Bladder infections are the most common type of urinary tract infection . They can develop when bacteria enter the urethra and travel into the bladder.
The urethra is the tube that takes urine out of the body. Once bacteria go into the urethra, they can attach to the walls of the bladder and multiply quickly.
The resulting infection can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as the sudden urge to urinate. It may also cause pain while urinating and abdominal cramping.
A combination of medical and home treatments may ease these symptoms. If left untreated, bladder infections can become life-threatening. This is because the infection can spread to the kidneys or blood.
Here are seven effective bladder infection remedies.
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