The uncontrollable flow of urine is known as urinary incontinence. It is a widespread problem that is thought to affect millions of people worldwide. Both men and women can suffer from urine incontinence, but usually, women are at greater risk of having it. In this blog let’s see what is urinary incontinence, its types, and its causes in detail.
What is urinary incontinence?
Loss of urinary bladder control is referred to as urinary incontinence. In short, it means a person urinates against their own choice. Depending on the cause, the condition could be temporary or chronic. It happens because of the weakness of the periurethral and pelvic muscles. It is very common and almost 1 in 3 women complain of urinary incontinence although the severity varies.
Symptoms
Some women experience various urinary symptoms in addition to urine incontinence which are
*Having a strong urge to urinate due to pressure or spasms in the pelvic region
*Increased frequency of bathroom visits
*Urinating while you’re asleep
*Urine leakage can be possible when you exercise, cough, laugh, and sneeze.
Causes
Problems with the muscles and nerves that support the bladder’s ability to contain or release urine are the main causes of urine incontinence. Other reasons for urine incontinence include
*Pregnancy
*Childbirth
*Overweight
*Nerve damage
*Surgery( hysterectomy)
*Constipation
*Side effects of certain medications
*Ageing
Types of urinary incontinence
The types of urinary incontinence include
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI)
This kind of incontinence is the most common. Coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting something heavy may put pressure on your bladder and cause you to leak urine. Moreover, urine leakage can also be brought on by sudden movements. Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause stress incontinence by exerting pressure on the bladder and urethra by making them work harder.
Urge incontinence
Urge incontinence can result from a small condition like an infection or a more serious condition like diabetes or a neurological problem. It is more common in older women. In urge incontinence, a sudden, strong urge to urinate occurs, followed by an uncontrollable leak of urine. Moreover, you can have frequent urination needs, even at night.
Mixed incontinence
Some women may experience a combination of stress and urge incontinence which is known as mixed incontinence.
Overflow incontinence
In overflow incontinence, you frequently or continuously urinate because your bladder doesn’t empty fully. It most frequently happens when there is a blockage to the urine’s exit (such as in males with enlarged prostates) and in both men and women who have weakened bladder muscle function (such as from changes brought on by aging in the bladder muscle).
To conclude
Urinary incontinence is an embarrassing situation and women avoid social gatherings and travel because of this. Many women also wear a diaper to manage this frustrating problem. Sharing about this condition with a doctor might be embarrassing but feel free to speak up your issues with the doctor and get the proper treatment for your problems.
