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Urinary incontinence
– inability to control urination occurs in approximately 5% of people, the vast majority of whom are women. After 65 years, at least every tenth person suffers from this. However, if measures are taken in time, more than 90% of cases are curable.
The most common forms are urge and stress incontinence.
Stress incontinence
This occurs due to a sharp increase in pressure on the bladder, for example, when coughing, sneezing, lifting weights, or other muscle activity. In women, this is usually due to weakening of the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and urethra, for example after childbirth or due to estrogen deficiency. In men, this happens when the bladder or urethra is injured during prostate surgery.
Urgent form of urinary incontinence
Urge incontinence is leakage immediately after a strong urge. This happens with urinary tract infections, diabetes, stroke, dementia, parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis, prostate adenoma.
Other types of incontinence include functional (when illness prevents you from getting to the toilet on time), reflex (without urge – with a neurological disorder) and those arising from bladder overflow (paradoxical ischuria).
The type of incontinence is usually diagnosed by symptoms. Sometimes a physical examination and special tests are required.
Urinary incontinence treatment
Treatment for incontinence depends on its type and may require simple changes in habits or abdominal surgery.
Mechanical devices
A pessary, which is placed on the cervix, supporting the pelvic muscles, prevents stress incontinence. Sometimes a catheter is used to continuously drain urine into an external reservoir.
Surgical treatment of incontinence
If all else fails, operations are performed to correct the position of the bladder, immobilize its neck, increase its volume, or remove the enlarged prostate.
Prevention of urinary incontinence
Drink more water. By deliberately reducing your fluid intake so that you don’t want to go to the toilet less, you only make the problem worse. The acidity of concentrated urine is higher, and this threatens bladder spasms and leakage from it. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, soda and acidic fruit juices, all of which irritate the bladder. Avoid spicy foods. It irritates the bladder.
Lose excess weight. It puts pressure on the bladder, and this threatens incontinence.
Eat more fiber. Constipation creates unnecessary tension, which is transmitted to the bladder.
Lifestyle with urinary incontinence
Do exercises. Repeat Kegel exercises anywhere – sitting in a meeting, standing in line, lying on the couch with a book.
For women, Kegel exercises are recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the uterus and bladder. Slowly tense these muscles as if you want to stop urinating, hold in this state for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat the exercise 10 times, do 10 series a day. You can practice this while urinating.
Bladder training – emptying it according to a strict schedule. Helps both men and women with urge incontinence. Go to the toilet 20-30 minutes after each meal and at least twice in between (if necessary, set an alarm clock). Also urinate before going to bed. Another method is biofeedback. Using a computer, you monitor the functioning of your internal organs and learn to regulate them.
Stop smoking. A smoker’s cough, by increasing pressure on the bladder, can cause involuntary leakage of urine. In addition, smoking is associated with up to 40 percent of deaths from bladder cancer.