Are You Experiencing Urinary Incontinence? What You Need To Know
ShareIf you have poor control of your bladder, you might be dealing with urinary incontinence. Urinary continence ranges in severity. Incontinence can happen to anyone just by sneezing or coughing too hard. However, incontinence can be very bad and cause disruptions in your daily life. Urinary incontinence is common in older people, but it can affect anyone at any age. Here are some things you should know if you are experiencing urinary incontinence:
Are There Different Types of Urinary Incontinence?
There are several forms of urinary incontinence you may experience. Stress incontinence occurs when your bladder experiences pressure when you lift a heavy item, exercise, sneeze, cough, or laugh. Urge incontinence occurs when you have a sudden urge to urinate, subsequently releasing urine uncontrollably. This is often caused by an infection but can also impact those who are diabetic.
Overflow incontinence occurs when you feel like you have not fully emptied your bladder. This results in consistent dribbling. Functional incontinence is when you have some form of impairment that prevents you from urinating in time before it releases involuntarily.
What Is the Cause of Urinary Incontinence?
There are different causes of urinary incontinence. The incontinence can be temporary. Temporary urinary incontinence may be caused by drinking carbonated beverages or alcohol, taking in too much caffeine, eating foods that are high in spice, or taking certain medications. If you have too much vitamin C in your body, you may also experience urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence may also occur when you have a urinary tract infection, which irritates the bladder. The infection can give you the urge to urinate and result in incontinence. Constipation can also cause temporary urinary incontinence.
Underlying conditions may also be a cause of persistent urinary incontinence. Pregnancy and childbirth are common causes of persistent urinary incontinence. As a woman's hormones change, the baby presses on the bladder, or when the muscles that are weakened during childbirth, her ability to avoid incontinence increases. Menopause can also be a culprit. In men, an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer can cause persistent urinary incontinence.
Should You Go to a Doctor?
Incontinence can be a difficult topic to discuss, but you should see your doctor if your condition does not improve on its own. Urinary incontinence can have a negative impact on your quality of life and prevent you from taking part in your normal social activities. Urinary incontinence can also indicate another medical condition that needs attention.
For more information on urinary incontinence, contact a company near you.