When To Seek Medical Help
Any instance of incontinence is reason to seek medical help. It may be a symptom of a more serious condition that needs to be treated.
Even if the underlying cause isnt serious, incontinence can be a major disruption in your life. Its important to get an accurate diagnosis and discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider.
In some cases, incontinence is a sign of a medical emergency.
You should seek immediate medical attention if you lose control of your bladder and experience any of the following symptoms:
- trouble speaking or walking
How To Help Relive Coughing From A Cold Or Flu: Tips For Relief
We know how annoying a constant cough can beâit can keep you up at night, make you light-headed, and even cause the loss of bladder control. So, how can you stop constant coughing? The key is suppressing your cough. Read on for some great information on how to stop constant coughing, so you can get back to your life!
What Causes Urinary Incontinence During Pregnancy
Hormonal changes, especially fluctuating levels of relaxin and progesterone , are mainly to blame.
Risks for incontinence during pregnancy increase if you have a history of urinary tract infections, you previously delivered vaginally, you’re older or you weigh more .
If you were bothered by leaks before getting pregnant, youll probably experience even these days. Unintended leakage can happen anytime but especially when you laugh, sneeze or cough.
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Risk Factors For Incontinence After Childbirth
Women are more likely to have incontinence if they also had leakage problems during pregnancy, particularly in the first or second trimester. Women who also had long deliveries or needed forceps during labor are also more likely to experience urinary leakage.
According to the National Institutes of Health, women who have a natural delivery are 50% more likely to experience incontinence than women who deliver by C-section.
Women with a high BMI, or those who retain pregnancy weight gain after the birth of their child, are more likely to experience incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse after giving birth. Postpartum weight loss decreases the risk of urinary incontinence, even if other risk factors such as age and/or type of delivery method exist.
Signs And Symptoms Of Urinary Incontinence
The symptoms of urinary incontinence may vary on a case-by-case basis. The main symptom, however, is the unintentional leakage of urine.
The general symptom of Urinary Incontinence include:
- Urine will suddenly leak while one is either coughing, laughing, sneezing, or exercising
- Sudden and uncontrollable urges to urinate
- Sleep disturbance with the urge to urinate
- High frequency in urination
- Urinating while asleep
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How Is Urinary Incontinence Treated
Treatment options for urinary incontinence depend on the type of incontinence, the severity, and the underlying cause. A combination of medical treatments, exercises, and lifestyle modifications may be needed. Weight loss in the case of obese women has been shown to help some types of incontinence. The following are the treatment options.
Behavioral techniques:
- Fluid and diet management: Reducing or avoiding alcohol, caffeine, or acidic foods and decreasing fluid consumption.
- Bladder training: Training the bladder to delay urination after having the urge to urinate may help. The patient could start by trying to hold off going to the bathroom for 10 minutes every time there is an urge to urinate and gradually lengthening the time.
- Double voiding: First, the patient urinates after getting an urge. Then, the patient waits for a few minutes to urinate again.
- Pessary: Insertion of vaginal pessary may help reduce stress incontinence by supporting the bladder and vaginal wall. It can be inserted by the individual and may be available over the counter.
Pelvic floor muscle exercises:
Electrical stimulation:
Electrodes can be temporarily inserted into the rectum or vagina to stimulate and strengthen pelvic floor muscles.
Medications:
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 Is A Cough Exactly
A cough is actually very functionalâitâs a natural reflex that helps protect your lungs, clearing them of irritants like smoke and mucus. But it can also be associated with a cold or flu virus. A cough can either be dry or chesty, and either productive or nonproductive . Chesty coughs are usually productive while dry coughs are usually unproductive.
Should I Drink Less Water Or Other Fluids If I Have Urinary Incontinence
No. Many people with urinary incontinence think they need to drink less to reduce how much urine leaks out. But you need fluids, especially water, for good health.
Women need 91 ounces of fluids a day from food and drinks.11 Getting enough fluids helps keep your kidneys and bladder healthy, prevents urinary tract infections, and prevents constipation, which may make urinary incontinence worse.
After age 60, people are less likely to get enough water, putting them at risk for dehydration and conditions that make urinary incontinence worse.12
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What Are The Symptoms Of Bladder Control Problems
Signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence can include
- leaking urine during everyday activities, such as lifting, bending, coughing, or exercising
- being unable to hold in urine after feeling a sudden, strong urge to urinate
- leaking urine without any warning or urge
- being unable to reach a toilet in time
- wetting your bed during sleep
- leaking during sexual activity
Clematis Sarsaparilla Zingiber And Kali Bichromium For Overflow Incontinence
The most well-recognized medicines for overflow incontinence include Clematis, Sarsaparilla, Zingiber and Kali Bichromium. For prescription of Clematis, the person must feel the need to strain hard to pass even a few drops of urine. Urine that suddenly stops and starts is also treated well with medicine Clematis. Sarsaparilla is one of the most effective medicines for urine incontinence where a person can pass urine only when standing. Urine that keeps dribbling while sitting is also best treated with Sarsaparilla. One of the top-rated medicines for urine incontinence in cases where the urine continues to ooze in drops even after urinating is Zingiber.
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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.
Ondrwear: Your Trusted Undergarment For Incontinence During Coughing
Stress incontinence is NOTHING to be ashamed of and there are remedies you can follow to either live with it efficiently or stop the symptoms, such as peeing when coughing.
ONDRwear leak-proof underwear was developed by Dr. Jessica Lubahn, MD.
As a urologist and mother, Dr. Lubahn has seen firsthand the frustrations of living with stress incontinence and has made it her mission to find a way to eliminate the common embarrassment of peeing when coughing and general incontinence.
It’s happening to more people than you’d expect and you can manage it in many ways!
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What Are The Symptoms Of Stress Incontinence
The main symptom of stress incontinence is a leakage of urine at times of physical movement or activity. Examples of the kinds of activities associated with urine leaking include laughing, coughing, lifting, or exercise. The leakage may be as little as a drop or two, or may be a “squirt,” or even a stream of urine.
Lilium Tigrinum Sepia Guaiacum And Senecio Aureus For Incontinence Due To Uterus Problems
Homeopathy medicines for urine incontinence due to uterus problems, a condition that affects women, include Lilium Tigrinum, Sepia, Guaiacum, and Senecio Aureus. The most effective among medicines for urine incontinence from the prolapsed uterus is Lilium Tigrinum. Sepia is the most effective medicine for prolapsed uterus where a marked dragging pain in the pelvis is present, while Guaiacum is very effective for urine incontinence in women who complain of a sharp, stitching pain after urinating. Senecio Aureus works very well in women who feel a constant urge to urinate, together with great heat, making it stand out among the best medicines for urine incontinence of this type.
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Can Incontinence Be Prevented
Different events throughout your life can lead to many of the things that cause incontinence. The muscles that support your pelvic organs can weaken over time. For women, these muscles can also be weakened by big life events like pregnancy and childbirth. However, in the same way you work out to build strength in your legs or arms, you can do exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Doing exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles may not prevent you from having any issues with incontinence, but it can help you regain control of your bladder. Maintaining a healthy body weight can also help with bladder control. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to maintain strong pelvic floor muscles throughout your life.
Treatment Options For Urgency Incontinence:
- Pelvic floor physical therapy This therapy helps to retrain the bladder.
- Medications A range of medications can help you hold your bladder for longer and decrease your urinary frequency symptoms.
- Botox injections in the bladder Botox relaxes the wall of your bladder in order to prevent it from contracting when it’s not supposed to.
- Peripheral nerve stimulation This treatment uses a needle to stimulate a nerve in your foot that travels up the leg to the spine, where it connects with the bladder and calms it down.
- Sacral neural modulation In this outpatient surgical procedure, a bladder pacemaker is implanted to help control how the bladder is stimulated by the sacral nerve.
“Regardless of which type of incontinence you’re experiencing, it’s important to get evaluated simply because there are so many options for treating urinary incontinence,” says Dr. Lindo. “We always start with conservative treatment approaches, but if those don’t work, you don’t have to continue to suffer. We can help to improve your quality of life.”
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What Causes Stress Incontinence
With stress incontinence, movements and activities such as coughing, sneezing, and lifting put greater abdominal pressure on the bladder. That causes the leakage of urine.
A number of things can contribute to stress incontinence. For instance, it can result from weak muscles in the pelvic floor or a weak sphincter muscle at the neck of the bladder. A problem with the way the sphincter muscle opens and closes can also result in stress incontinence. Chronic coughing, smoking, and obesity may also lead to SI.
Stress incontinence, especially in women, is often caused by physical changes to the body. Things that can cause these changes include:
- Problems with muscles in the bladder — the organ that holds urine — and the urethra
- Weakened muscles around the bladder
In cases of stress incontinence, the muscles in the pelvis can weaken. This can cause the bladder to drop down into a position that prevents the urethra from closing completely. The result is a leakage of urine.
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.” 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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Treatment Options For Stress Incontinence:
- Pelvic floor physical therapy This can improve up to 75% of symptoms.
- Pessary This device, inserted in the vagina, helps control leakage by providing support under the urethra and bladder.
- Urethra bulking This office-based procedure can help thicken the wall of your urethra so it more tightly seals to hold urine.
- Sling urethral surgery This outpatient surgery stops urine leakage via a sling that lifts and supports your urethra and lower bladder.
“If stress incontinence is severe, sling urethral surgery is typically about 95 percent successful and there’s very little down time as far as returning to everyday activities,” says Dr. Lindo.
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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Seeking Professional Advice Is The First Step
In many cases incontinence can be prevented, better managed and even cured. Talk to your doctor, a continence health professional or contact the National Continence Helpline on .
The National Continence Helpline is staffed by Nurse Continence Specialists who offer free and confidential information, advice and support. They also provide a wide range of continence-related resources and referrals to local services.
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:
- Exercise.
- Have an urge to urinate, but cant make it to the toilet on time.
- Have to get up in the middle of night to urinate .
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Loss Of Bladder Control Treatment
You need to determine the type of urinary continence you are suffering from and the doctor can easily tell you about the kind after listening to your symptoms. The right course of treatment for loss of bladder control involves necessary medications along with simple dietary and lifestyle changes. Some treatment methods include:
- Bladder training can be useful in delaying the urge to urinate
- Scheduled toilet trips can also prevent dripping, thus preparing your mind for the same
- Reduce liquid intake, especially alcohol
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises also known as kegel exercises
- Medications to treat urinary incontinence
- Surgery
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These were the symptoms, causes and treatment of urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control. It is best to talk to an expert if you experience any symptoms of a bladder problem, such as painful and frequent urination, a loss of bladder control, bedwetting and pelvic pain. Bladder problems can have a negative impact on your quality of life and lead to other health problems.
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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