Urinary Incontinence

What Is It?

Urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control is a symptom and not a disease in itself. It is caused by a broad range of conditions, such as prostate enlargement, urinary tract infection, constipation and side effect of medication. If you have a bladder control problem, find your symptoms on this list:

Urge Incontinence:

People with urge incontinence lose urine as soon as they feel a strong urge to go to the bathroom and must get there quickly.

Stress Incontinence:

Urine is lost during exercise or when a moving a certain way. You make leak urine while you sneeze, cough or laugh or when you get up from a chair.

Overflow Incontinence:

People feel that they never completely empty their bladder. You may lose small amounts of urine during the day and night. This type of incontinence is most often related to prostate problems.

The First Step

The first step is to identify the cause. There are a few simple and painless tests your doctor will want to perform. These may include a blood test, a uninalysis, a stress test and a special examination of the bladder and urethra. Your doctor may also ask you to keep a "voiding diary" for a few days which will help identify the frequency and cause of incontinent episodes.

The Next Step

Your doctor will discuss the three types of treatment recommended for urinary incontinence.

Behavioral Techniques: Learn ways to control your own bladder and sphincter muscles by bladder training and pelvic muscle exercises. There are no risks for this type of treatment.

Medicine: Many medications are available and 77% of patients using medicine to treat incontinence show significant improvement while 44% are cured. As with most drugs, there is a risk of side effects.

Surgery: 78%-92% of patients who need surgery are cured. There is a possibility of a risk or complication.

Disclaimer: All information is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for advice by your physician. You are advised to consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations appearing here.

Health Tips | Top of Page