Adult incontinence : types, common causes and treatment

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Adult Incontinence Types, Common Causes and Treatment

Adult incontinence (also known as involuntary urination) is a condition wherein a person experiences involuntary loss of urine. This condition is very common in women but also affects men as well.

Types There are a few different types of adult incontinence and may affect adults of any age for various reasons. The following are the most common: 1. Functional Incontinence: This type of incontinence has nothing to do with nervous, urinary, bladder or pelvic muscle problems. It simply occurs when a person has a need to urinate but cannot reach the bathroom because of either physical or mental restrictions.

2. Urge Incontinence This is a type of incontinence where a person has a sudden urge to urinate but cannot reach the toilet in time. A common symptom of this type of incontinence is frequent urination. A person may even have to wake up several times in the night with a sudden urge to urinate.

This type of incontinence worsens with age.

3. Stress Incontinence When one experiences unexpected leaks of urine due to stress or pressure applied to the bladder during coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercising. This generally happens when the bladder is quite full and can most likely happen to anyone. It is most common in pregnant women.

4. Overflow Incontinence

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When the bladder does not empty completely (which most of the time it doesn’t) small amounts may leak out without you noticing it. Because the bladder is not full, you probably won’t feel the pressure which makes it even more surprising when you experience sudden leaks.

5. Mixed Incontinence As the name suggests, this type of incontinence has symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence. You may experience urine leaks during physical activities and may also find yourself with a sudden overwhelming urge to urinate and no toilet nearby.

6. Transient Incontinence This is a type of incontinence that is only temporary. It is often caused by a temporary medical condition. Incontinence during and after pregnancy, is an example of transient incontinence. In most cases, this issue resolves itself in due time.

7. Total Incontinence Complete and utter loss of bladder control.

Causes There are many reasons why someone may experience urinary incontinence. Some reasons may be temporary while others may be permanent. Urinary incontinence is generally a symptom of some other underlying condition.

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UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) Urinary tract infections temporarily compromise the bladder, often resulting in a strong, urge to urinate.

Pregnancy In pregnancy, as the uterus grows, there is more pressure on the bladder, causing involuntary leakages and inability to hold urine for long spans of time.

Menopause After menopause, the body produces less estrogen which weakens the lining of the bladder and the urethra leading to incontinence.

Child Birth During child birth, the pelvic muscles stretch and are therefore not able to contract as efficiently as they once did leading to urine leakages and inability to hold in urine.

Fortunately, this type of incontinence tends to rectify itself once the pelvic floor gets stronger again over time.

Medication Strong medication like blood pressure, heart medication, sedatives and muscle relaxants can also temporarily compromise bladder control.

Prostate Related Issues Prostate cancer and even treatments for prostate cancer can contribute to weakening of the bladder leading to poor bladder control.

Neurological disorders Disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, brain tumors, strokes and other disorders that damage the nervous system can also cause urinary incontinence.

Age Unfortunately our body slowly deteriorates with age and this can cause weakening of the pelvic muscles, leading to urinary incontinence in adults.

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Treatment 1. Medical Help Seeking medical help to understand the cause of the underlying condition is the first thing to be done. Involuntary urination as a symptom can only be rectified if the underlying condition is treated.

2. Exercise For people experiencing transient incontinence, exercises like Kegels and a few others can prove to be very helpful in strengthening the weakened pelvic muscles.

3. Incontinence Products To make life easier and to reduce the stress and embarrassment associated with urinary incontinence, there are a range of products on the market. Adult diapers, absorbent pads, disposable underwear, etc. are just a few products that can help manage incontinence.

Know more about adult incontinence and the products to manage incontinence at https://wellnessbriefs.com/