Incontinence Help And Advice
The First Step: Talk to Your Doctor
Although you may feel embarrassed to talk about your urinary incontinence, it’s a good idea to see your GP as this can be the first step towards finding an effective way to manage the problem.
Your doctor should ask questions, like how long the leakage has been happening, how bad it is, and how much it impacts on daily life. They may even suggest keeping a diary in which you record how much fluid you drink and how often you have to use the toilet.
Your GP may initially suggest some simple measures to see if they help improve your symptoms such as:
- Pelvic floor exercise (exercising your pelvic floor muscles by squeezing them)
- Lifestyle changes such as reducing your alcohol and/or caffeine consumption
- Bladder training (learning ways to help you wait longer between feeling the need to urinate and passing urine)
They may also suggest the use of incontinence products, such as absorbent body worn pads and hand held urinals.
Types Of Incontinence
Do you experience a sudden need to go to the toilet and/or are unable to reach the toilet in time? You may have Urge Incontinence
Do you go to the toilet more than 7 times a day? This may be Frequency Incontinence
Do you sometimes dribble small amounts of urine without noticing or need to strain to pass urine? You may have Overflow Incontinence
Do you need to get up and use the toilet several times during the night? You may have Nocturia
Do you wet the bed at night? You may have Nocturnal Enuresis
Do you have a physical condition or a mental impairment that makes it difficult for you to reach the bathroom in time? You may have Functional incontinence
If you suffer from a combination of the above symptoms, you may have Mixed Incontinence
Stress Incontinence
It can happen when extra pressure is exerted on the bladder through exercise, laughing, sneezing, coughing or when lifting heavy objects. Pregnancy and childbirth can stretch and weaken a woman’s pelvic floor muscles due to the strain on the bladder neck muscles. Women of all ages can develop stress incontinence however the symptoms often present themselves around the time of the menopause.
Other things that can lead to stress incontinence are being overweight or obese, taking certain medications or, in men, having prostate surgery.
Urge Incontinence
Causes of overactive bladder include:
- Damage to the bladder’s nerves
- Damage to other parts of the nervous system
- Damage to muscles
Conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and stroke can affect nerves, leading to urge incontinence. Bladder problems, such as infections and bladder stones, and certain medications can also cause it.
Frequency Incontinence
Frequency incontinence can be caused by an overactive bladder. The bladder might contract even when it doesn’t need to; for example, if your bladder only has a small amount of urine in it, or it may be oversensitive. This means that you feel the need to go to the toilet more often.
Nocturia Incontinence
Although Nocturia may be associated with ageing, it might be caused by a medical problem which can be treated.
Causes include:
- Excessive fluid intake – particularly caffeine or alcohol
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Prostate diseases
- Urinary tract infections
- Cystitis
- Pregnancy
- Certain medications
Nocturnal Enuresis
Bed wetting causes many practical problems, such as constantly having to change wet sheets and bedding. It can prevent people from staying away overnight, going on holiday or going on business trips. Bed wetting can also affect sleep patterns leading to fatigue.
Nocturnal Enuresis can often be cured with the right advice and support.
Overflow incontinence
Causes include:
- Weakened bladder muscles
- Nerve damage from diabetes or other diseases
- Conditions that block the flow of urine, such as tumours, urinary stones or an enlarged prostate
- Constipation
- Certain medications
Functional Incontinence
Bowel or Faecal Incontinence
Bowel incontinence can be a sign of more serious medical issues and should never be ignored.
Mixed Urinary Incontinence
There are a number of charities and organisations that may be able to offer further advice and support:
www.continence-foundation.org.uk
www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org
This site does not offer medical advice and nothing contained within this site is intended to constitute professional advice for medical diagnosis or treatment