Reasons For Weak Bladder Control

Behavioral And Lifestyle Changes

Changing your lifestyle may help with bladder problems. Losing weight, quitting smoking, saying no to alcohol, choosing water instead of other drinks, and limiting drinks before bedtime can help with some bladder problems. Preventing constipation and avoiding lifting heavy objects may also help with incontinence. Even after treatment, some people still leak urine from time to time. There are bladder control products and other solutions, including disposable briefs or underwear, furniture pads, and urine deodorizing pills that may help.

Visit the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for more information on urinary incontinence in men and urinary incontinence in women.

How You Can Manage Symptoms

Some guys have success by spacing out their fluid intake during the day and cutting back on liquids a few hours before bed. If that helps, stick with it. But dont restrict yourself too much you could become dehydrated. Not drinking enough fluids can lead to complications such as bladder infections, which can make urinary incontinence worse.

Do Daily Pelvic Floor Exercises

The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for supporting the bladder, and they help control the flow of urine through the urethra. When they become weakened or damaged, it can cause stress incontinence.

Performing pelvic floor exercises including Kegels, squats, and the bridge can help strengthen the muscles around and within the bladder to prevent urinary incontinence.

According to the results of two clinical trials , women who participate in pelvic floor muscle training are twice as likely to see an improvement in their urinary incontinence than those receiving symptomatic care alone. They are also five times more likely to have their symptoms completely resolve.

Those who have had recent surgery, have given birth recently, or have other health concerns should talk with a doctor before beginning any exercise regimen.

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What Makes Yale Medicines Approach To Neurogenic Bladder Unique

Patients can expect the most advanced treatment options available for neurogenic bladder, including sacral neuromodulation bladder injections and complex bladder reconstructive surgery.

Our goal is to provide a patient-centered approach, says Dr. Chai. So we work with your medical doctors including primary care physicians, neurologists, and specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation to ensure that you are taken care of holistically.

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What Causes A Weak Bladder

Stress incontinence is usually caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles or the urethral sphincter, which is a muscle that controls the opening and closing of the bladder.

Weakness of the pelvic floor muscle may come from damage or weakness after vaginal childbirth delivery, increasing weight, or age.

Pregnancy and childbirth can contribute to a weak bladder in many ways. During childbirth, there is an increase in weight from the pregnant womb on the bladder and on the pelvic floor that subsequently has to support both the bladder and the pregnant uterus.

As you can imagine, with constant heavy weight and stretching, the pelvic floor can become weakened. The pregnant uterus can also displace the urethras position in relation to the bladder , making this passage of urine from bladder to the outside more difficult.1 In addition, if an episiotomy is performed, this may also weaken the pelvic floor.

Therefore, after childbirth, it is more difficult for the pelvic floor to support the bladder well, and it does not form a tight seal around the bladder opening to keep urine in when its needed.2 This can lead to leaks of urine, particularly when the pressure in the abdomen increases at times of coughing, laughing, or sneezing.

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Managing Bladder And Bowel Incontinence

Some common treatments are:

• 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.

• Exercises. Kegel exercises can strengthen the sphincter muscles and pelvic floor. This can help you have better control.

• 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.

• 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.

• Electrical stimulation. This therapy can stimulate damaged nerves. This may give you better muscle control in your bladder or bowel.

• 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.

What Can I Do To Prevent Bladder Problems After Birth

There are some simple steps you can take during pregnancy to help prevent incontinence.

• Drink 6 to 8 cups of fluid a day, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Avoid drinks containing sugar or caffeine, as these can irritate the bladder.
• Eat a high fibre diet with 2 pieces of fruit, 5 serves of vegetables and 5 serves of cereals/bread per day.
• Make sure you have a healthy weight.

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What Are The Specific Symptoms Of Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder represents a collection of symptoms that can include:

• Urinary urgency: This is a failure to be able to postpone the need to urinate. When you feel you need to urinate, you have a limited amount of time to get to a bathroom.
• Frequency of urination: People who experience this symptom need to urinate very often. Typically its an increase in the number of times you urinate compared to what you previously experienced.
• Urge incontinence: In this case, there can be a leakage of urine when you get the urge to urinate.
• Nocturia: This symptom is characterized by the need to get up and urinate at least two times each night.

Causes Of Bladder Problems In Men

Bladder problems are common in men. Most involve urinationsuch as having trouble urinating or going too often. But you dont have to live with bladder problems. In most cases, they can be treated. The first step is to find out whats causing the problem. Here are eight common causes of bladder problems in men.

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Avoid Lifting Heavy Objects

Lifting heavy objects puts strain not only on the back and knees but also on the pelvic floor muscles. Without proper support from pelvic muscles, stress incontinence and OAB with or without urge incontinence can occur.

For this reason, people should avoid lifting heavy objects if they can. If they do need to lift something, they should practice their pelvic floor exercises before and during the lift to help support the muscles in and around their bladder.

Treatment For Different Types Of Urinary Incontinence

Lifestyle changes and treatments can help with symptoms. Your doctor can help you come up with a plan thatâs right for you.

Behavioral therapies, vaginal inserts, electrical stimulation and surgery are the four treatment options for women with stress incontinence. The objective is to rehabilitate the pelvic floor by building the strength and function of the muscles that support the bladder, urethra and other organs contained within the pelvic region.

For stress incontinence, treatments include:

Pads and Vaginal Inserts.

Pelvic floor exercises. If you’ve had a baby, chances are you’ve been told to do Kegel exercises. These help to strengthen the pelvic floor after childbirth. They also help prevent stress incontinence. Best of all, you can do Kegels anytime, anywhere.

Here’s how:

Note: You can learn how to do Kegels by stopping your urine, but donât do this routinely. Stopping the flow of urine can lead to an infection.

Biofeedback. A probe is inserted to monitor when your bladder muscles squeeze. When youâre able to recognize it as it’s happening, you can start to gain control of it. It’s often used in combination with Kegel exercises.

Pessary. For women, doctors may prescribe a device called a pessary that is inserted into the . It repositions the urethra to help reduce leakage.

For urge incontinence, treatment options include:

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Incontinence In Alzheimer’s Disease

People in the later stages of Alzheimers disease often have problems with urinary incontinence. This can be a result of not realizing they need to urinate, forgetting to go to the bathroom, or not being able to find the toilet. These tips may help:

• Avoid drinks like caffeinated coffee, tea, and sodas, which may increase urination. But dont limit water.
• Keep hallways clear and the bathroom clutter-free, with a light on at all times.
• Provide regular bathroom breaks.
• Use underwear that is easy to get on and off, and absorbent briefs or underwear for trips away from home.

Visit Alzheimers Disease: Common Medical Problems for more tips.

What Causes Daytime Wetting In Children

Daytime wetting in children is commonly caused by holding urine too long, constipation, or bladder systems that dont work together smoothly. Health problems can sometimes cause daytime wetting, too, such as bladder or kidney infections , structural problems in the urinary tract, or nerve problems.

When children hold their urine too long, it can trigger problems in how the bladder works or make existing problems worse. These bladder problems include:

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Forms Of Urinary Incontinence That Affect Men Only

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects about 50 percent of men over the age of 60, and 90 percent over the age of 85 an enlarged prostate can cause sudden and frequent urges to urinate.
• Peyronies disease is the result of injury or damage to penile tissue, causing an abnormal curvature.
• Painful inflammation of the prostate gland

What Your Treatment Will Involve

Your healthcare professionals recommended treatment plan will depend on the cause of your incontinence. An underlying medical condition may require medication, surgery, or other treatments.

In certain situations, they may not be able to cure your bladder incontinence. In these cases, they will likely provide steps you can take to manage your condition.

Treatment options for urinary incontinence may include:

You cant prevent all cases of urinary incontinence, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing it.

For example, try to:

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Bad Cough Causes Loss Of Bowel Bladder Control

• THE PEOPLEâS PHARMACY Joe and Teresa Gradeon

Q. Iâve had a terrible cough, so violent that Iâve wetand sometimes even soiled myself. For the past several weeks, Iâvebeen vomiting from coughing so hard.

I take lisinopril and amlodipine for high bloodpressure. I suspect that one of them is the cause of my horridcough. Is this possible?

A. The most common and bothersome side effectof popular blood pressure drugs like benazepril, captopril,enalapril, fosinopril, lisinopril and ramipril is an uncontrollablecough. Many readers have reported throwing up because of this sideeffect. Patients should always be alerted to this potential adversereaction.

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• Peopleâs Pharmacy: Did shingles vaccine also prevent cold sores?

Although amlodipine is unlikely to cause cough, it can lead toswollen ankles because of fluid retention. Other side effects mayinclude headache, dizziness, nausea and fatigue.

Q. My family has switched almost entirely to using seasalt in cooking. Are we now at greater risk of developing a goiterbecause weâre not using iodized salt?

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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Why Is It So Difficult To Talk About Bladder Control

Millions of men and women suffer from loss of bladder control. Bladder incontinence is twice as common in women because pregnancy, childbirth and menopause can affect pelvic muscle strength and damage nerves that control the bladder.

Many people feel embarrassed or ashamed to talk about their bladder control problems, yet many effective treatments are available. Your doctor may not ask about urinary function during an exam, so you should speak up if you are struggling with bladder control issues.

Conditions Where A Weak Bladder Can Be A Symptom

An abnormal or constant leak of urine may be caused by abnormalities of the bladder structure which can block it from emptying properly. These may be due to a developmental problem from birth or from internal damage. Women who have experienced severe road traffic accidents can suffer from tearing of the muscles of the bladder or urethra, which can make it difficult to pass urine and to keep urine in.

Often these damages are severe and there may be damage to other surrounding organs such as the bowel and ovaries. So women may also experience leaking of faeces , constant pelvic pain from chronic scarring, and infertility if the reproductive tracts are also damaged.

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Sudden Onset Urinary Incontinence: Causes And Treatment

Lets face it, urinary incontinence is embarrassing to talk about. Knowing that every time you laugh, cough, sneeze, or exercise could cause you to start leaking urine before you reach the bathroom is something no one wants to face.

First off, know that you are not alone. Sudden onset urinary incontinence affects nearly one-third of the entire US population.

This common condition can be treated, but you need to take those first, hard steps and speak to your doctor. The sooner you do, the better chance you have in a successful treatment.

The problem is, how do you know what caused this sudden incontinence? Knowing what caused it will help both you and your doctor find the appropriate treatment for it.

Thankfully, we have detailed information on how you can discover what caused your sudden onset urinary incontinence, and information on what types of treatment are available.

Keep on reading to learn more.

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How Common Is Urinary Incontinence

Its common for a new mother to accidentally leak urine when they laugh, sneezes, coughs or exercises. This is known as stress incontinence.

You are more likely to develop stress incontinence after birth if you:

• have bladder or bowel problems before pregnancy they are likely to get worse after the birth
• have a long labour, especially a long second stage of labour
• have a difficult delivery, such as needing stitches, tearing, or needing a vacuum cup or forceps during the delivery

Women who have a caesarean can also develop bladder problems. Having a caesarean can reduce the risk of severe incontinence from 10% to 5% for the first baby, but after the third caesarean women are just as likely to develop bladder problems as women who give birth vaginally.

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Try Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic floor therapy is a type of specialized physical therapy that strengthens the muscles that support your bladder and bowels. This can be very effective in treating urinary incontinence caused by an overactive bladder.

During pelvic floor therapy, a physical therapist may lead you through exercises that target your pelvic floor, use mild electrical stimulation to help you have more awareness of your pelvic floor muscles, and use other specialized techniques. If youre interested in pelvic floor therapy, talk with a doctor about getting a referral.

When To See A Doctor

People with warning signs should go to an emergency department at once. People without warning signs should call their doctor. The doctor will decide how quickly they need to be seen based on their other symptoms and other known conditions. In general, if incontinence is the only symptom, a delay of a week or so is not harmful.

Most people are embarrassed to mention incontinence to their doctors. Some people believe that incontinence is a normal part of aging. However, incontinence, even incontinence that has been present for some time or that occurs in an older person, may be helped by treatment. If symptoms of urinary incontinence are bothersome, interfere with activities of daily living, or cause people to curtail their social activities, people should see a doctor.

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Spinal Lesion Or Tumor

A spinal lesion or tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue within or surround the spinal cord or column. Spinal tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous, and originate in the spine or spinal column or spread there from another site.

Back pain, which is worse at night or increases with activity, is the most common symptom. If the tumor presses on a nerve, it can cause numbness or weakness in the arms, legs, or chest.

Treatment depends on the type and location of the lesion or tumor, and whether or not its cancerous or noncancerous. Surgery to remove the tumor, or radiation therapy or chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, can usually resolve leg weakness.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. Its a progressive neurological disease that damages nerve cells and often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in the legs.

Other early symptoms include:

• difficulty holding up your head

Theres currently no cure for ALS, but treatments are available that can help control symptoms and complications and improve quality of life.

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