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Urinary incontinence in men is also called enuresis and is characterized by involuntary emptying of the bladder. This can happen both during the day and at night. Daytime incontinence is a phenomenon less common than nighttime, and is observed mainly in the case when a person suffers severe psychological trauma, which negatively affects the functioning of the nervous system.
Normally, enuresis resolves on its own in boys when they reach the age of 6 years. However, it also happens that urinary incontinence worries a teenager, a young man, and even a mature man. If we turn to statistics, then 1 in 200 adults periodically lose control of their own bladder, and it involuntarily empties during sleep. On average, enuresis affects 1% of the total population over 18 years of age. In older men, urinary incontinence is much less common than in women.
A variety of specialists are involved in the treatment of this disease, including neurologists, endocrinologists, urologists, nephrologists, psychiatrists, homeopaths, and physiotherapists. There are about 300 techniques that are designed to save an adult man from enuresis. Among the methods of treatment, sometimes there are very exotic ones, for example, acupuncture or hypnosis.
Causes of urinary incontinence in men
The causes of urinary incontinence in men can be divided into two groups. The first is related to childhood: from an early age, a person has not developed the necessary reflex, which normally makes us wake up if the bladder is full. The second group is associated with various disorders that occur in men already in adulthood.
So, the causes of urinary incontinence can be as follows:
The presence of a tumor. If a person has a benign or malignant neoplasm that prevents the normal transmission of a nerve impulse from the bladder to the brain, then urinary incontinence will be observed.
Congenital pathologies of the development of the urinary system. Among such anomalies there are: insufficient size of the bladder, excessively thick wall of the organ or its inelasticity.
Age-related changes that lead to the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.
Aging of the cerebral cortex and natural wear and tear of the spinal cord. The older a person becomes, the worse signals are transmitted between his nerve cells. As a result, the impulse from the bladder to the cerebral cortex arrives either late or has insufficient strength. This leads to the fact that a man periodically or on an ongoing basis has urinary incontinence.
Weak sphincter of the bladder. The sphincter is a circular muscle that is normally in a closed state, blocks the lumen of the bladder and prevents the accumulated fluid from flowing out. When a person visits the toilet, he relaxes this muscle with an effort of will and urinates. With age, the sphincter weakens, and as the bladder fills, it becomes unable to hold back urine, which is especially true at night.
Treatment of urinary incontinence in men
Routine
Often a person himself becomes the culprit of his own problems with urination. Sometimes it is enough to reconsider established habits, and urinary incontinence will cease to bother. For example, you can try drinking smaller amounts of fluid after 14:00 pm. At the same time, it is impossible to limit the flow of water into the body. Just most of it should be taken before lunch.
Foods that have a diuretic effect should be excluded from the menu, such as watermelons and strawberries. The same rule applies to drinks such as coffee, beer, tea, cranberry juice, herbal infusions (on birch buds, on corn stigmas).
The Krasnogorsky diet is useful for enuresis, the basic rules of which are represented by the following provisions:
In the afternoon, you should eat meals that do not contain a lot of water in their composition.
After 15:00, it is necessary to reduce the volume of fluid consumed by 3 times.
Before going to bed, you need to eat a sandwich with salted fish, or just a salted piece of bread. Drink this snack with 1/2 cup of water. Salt will help the fluid stay in the body, but it will not accumulate in the bladder.
It is necessary to refuse water no later than 4 hours before bedtime.
It is necessary to properly organize your own bed. If you have enuresis, you should choose a hard mattress for sleeping. The spine will be supported, which means that the signals from the bladder to the brain will be better. Thanks to this technique, a person will be able to wake up when the organ is full.
You can set an alarm to go off 2-3 hours after falling asleep, and go to the toilet. The wake-up time should be changed every few days, then the body will not get used to waking up at the same time at night.
Stressful situations should be avoided whenever possible. The more balanced and calm a person is, the easier it is for him to exercise control over his own body.
The use of psychotherapeutic techniques
One of the methods of psychotherapy is hypnosis. During the session, the person is told that he will definitely feel when the bladder is full. This will make him wake up and go to the toilet. With the help of hypnosis, a reflex is formed in the cerebral cortex, which allows you to forget about the problem of bedwetting forever.
Behavioral techniques can have a positive effect. In the event that a person managed to wake up on his own, he encourages himself with some kind of present.
You can deal with urinary incontinence with the help of affirmations. To do this, you need to take a comfortable position in the evening, relax as much as possible and say the following phrase aloud for several minutes: “My bladder is under control. I’ll wake up when it’s full.” Such a technique of self-hypnosis will certainly give the desired result, the main thing is not to doubt your own abilities.
Of course, not all people are suggestible. In this case, rational psychotherapy can come to the rescue. However, you will need the help of a specialist who will provide the person with complete information about the capabilities of his body, as well as about the problem. By building a conversation on the laws of logic, a professional will convince the patient that urinary incontinence is a disease that can be dealt with.
Therapeutic exercise and urinary incontinence
Specially selected exercises allow you to strengthen the internal muscles of the pelvic floor and the sphincter of the bladder. This will make it possible to control urination and get rid of the problem. There are special simulators for muscle training, but if you wish, you can do therapeutic exercises without any additional devices.
To understand which muscles need training, you need to try to hold the stream of urine flowing out during the emptying of the bladder, and then strain and relax these muscles during the day, sitting or lying down.
Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment
Physiotherapists also strive to help people suffering from urinary incontinence. There are special devices, the action of which is based on the passage of weak discharges of electric current through the body. Thanks to this treatment, the nerve impulse is transmitted from the bladder to the cerebral cortex much faster and easier.
Treatment of enuresis with such devices is absolutely safe and painless, so doctors recommend their patients undergo the following procedures:
Electrosleep. This technique is aimed at stabilizing the nervous system and perfectly helps to cope with urinary incontinence for those people whose illness is caused by neurological disorders.
Darsonval on the area of the bladder. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to strengthen the muscle that closes the entrance to the bladder (sphincter).
Magnetotherapy. This technique allows you to relax the walls of the bladder, reduces the desire to urinate.
Electrophoresis. The procedure is aimed at normalizing the functioning of the nervous system.
Not all physiotherapy methods for the treatment of urinary incontinence are based on the passage of electrical impulses through the body. There are also methods that are aimed at preparing the nerves for signal transmission. As a result, guard reflexes are formed in a person.
Accordingly, these techniques have the common name “reflexotherapy”:
Treatment with warm paraffin, ozocerite or mud. All these substances are applied to the lumbar region. The result that can be achieved: improving blood circulation in the treatment area, eliminating inflammatory processes, relieving spasm, normalizing the work of nerve fibers.
Water treatment. For this purpose, rain and circular showers are used, coniferous, nitrogen, pearl, salt baths are prescribed to patients.
Needle treatment. Thin and long needles are injected into certain points of the body, which allows you to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, improve your emotional mood, and regulate the quality of night rest.
Art treatment. In this case, we are talking about art therapy and music therapy. These techniques are aimed at normalizing the mental state of a person.
Animal therapy. Communication with horses and dolphins is very effective in terms of treating mental disorders. Although, if a person’s mood improves from communicating with cats and dogs, then they can also be attracted for treatment.
Medications
Table of essential drugs for urinary incontinence
Minirin
Driptan
Picamilon
Duloxetine
Melipramine
Pantocalcin
Pantogam
Operation
As a surgical treatment for enuresis, men are offered the implantation of an artificial bladder sphincter.
> Read more: Implantation of an artificial bladder sphincter
Pencil clips for urinary incontinence in men
Pencil clips for urinary incontinence in men are special devices that allow you to quickly and comfortably solve an existing problem.
Modern clips are a plastic or metal swivel bracket, which is lined with a pair of pads inside and equipped with a retainer. These pads are designed to provide maximum comfort to the man while wearing the product.
The penis is placed between the clip clamps and secured with a side fastener. The latch has several compression levels. The optimum pressure force can be selected during the closing of the clamp.
The principle of operation of the penny clamp is quite simple. It is based on a slight compression of the urethra, which helps to prevent the involuntary emission of urine. In this case, the blood vessels supplying the penis will not be pinched. In order to empty the bladder, you just need to unfasten the clamp. Thus, it is possible to achieve control over the process of urination during the day.
While wearing the clamp, swelling of the penis should not occur; a properly selected device does not violate the integrity of the skin. If you experience discomfort, pain, pressure sores or other undesirable effects, you should consult your doctor.
Do not use penile clamps if a person has a urinary catheter or penile prostheses. Do not wear the clamp for more than 4 hours continuously. Also, fluid intake should not be restricted unless advised otherwise by your doctor.
Modern penny clips are small and invisible under clothing. They are intended to improve a man’s quality of life, but should not be used to reduce urinary frequency. Go to the restroom and defecate regularly.
Kegel exercises for men
Kegel exercises are aimed at training the muscles of the perineum. They allow not only to cope with urinary incontinence, but also to achieve an improvement in erection by increasing blood circulation in the corresponding zone. In addition, with the help of Kegel exercises, you can control the process of ejaculation.
The most simple and effective exercises can be considered the following:
Tighten and relax the muscles of the perineum, doing daily activities. Voltage time – 5 seconds. To perform the exercise correctly, you need to imagine the process of urination and how to try to stop it. Approaches should be about 20-30 per day.
When the penis is in a state of erection, they hang a towel on it and try to lift it with the effort of the muscles of the perineum.
Regular exercise allows you to train the muscles of the perineum and improve the innervation of this zone.