Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control, varying from a slight loss of urine to complete inability to control urination. There are two types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence mainly affects women; urge incontinence affects both men and women.
Stress incontinence causes urine to leak when you exert pressure on your bladder, like laughing, coughing, sneezing, or exercising. Urge incontinence is the sudden and strong urge to urinate that causes you to involuntarily urinate.
There can be several causes for urinary incontinence, including age, underlying conditions, or risk factors. Treatment for urinary incontinence can include behavioral techniques, exercise, medication, and sometimes surgery.
At Urology Clinics of North Texas, we treat our patients like family. Discussing urinary incontinence may be uncomfortable, but if it is affecting your quality of life, you should discuss it with your doctor.
Urinary incontinence can be either stress incontinence or urge incontinence. Stress incontinence is when urine leaks due to pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercise. Urge incontinence is the sudden urge to urinate, resulting in the involuntary loss of urine.
It is common to have occasional leaks of urine. Incontinence is not a condition; it is a symptom caused by an underlying condition or everyday habit.
Causes of incontinence include:
- Daily habits such as consuming alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners,
- Medications such as blood pressure medication, sedatives or muscle relaxants
- Urinary tract infection
- Constipation
- Pregnancy
- Menopause, as well as aging in general
- Hysterectomy
- Prostatectomy
- Enlarged prostate or prostate cancer
- Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke, or spinal injury
It is possible for urinary incontinence to be temporary, mainly when it is caused by an underlying condition that can be treated. Some risk factors make it more likely to develop urinary incontinence, including:
Gender
Women are more prone to stress incontinence due to female anatomy. Men with prostate problems are also at higher risk for urge incontinence
Age
Bladder and ureter muscles may lose strength with age
Obesity
Extra weight can cause pressure on your bladder, allowing urine to leak out
Smoking
Tobacco use can cause urinary incontinence
You should discuss any urinary incontinence symptoms with your doctor, especially when it is affecting your quality of life.
Your doctor will first determine what type of urinary incontinence you have: stress or urge. Depending on which condition you are affected by, your treatment will be decided.
Your urologist will start with a medical history and physical exam. If you have stress incontinence, your doctor will ask you to cough to determine if it is causing incontinence. A urine sample will also be tested to check for any urinary conditions that could be causing incontinence.
If your doctor is not able to determine the cause, imaging, and testing of your bladder and urinary muscles may be ordered. Urge incontinence is sometimes associated with overactive bladder, which can be treated with medication.
If you have urinary incontinence caused by a treatable underlying condition, that will be the first course of action. If the treatment of the underlying condition does not relieve urinary incontinence, your doctor will suggest the least invasive treatments first.
Treatment options for urinary incontinence include:
- Behavioral techniques: Your doctor may suggest bladder training to strengthen your muscles, including scheduled bathroom breaks and fluid management.
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises, such as kegels to strengthen your muscles
- Medication: Your doctor may prescribe medication to relax your bladder muscles if you have an overactive bladder.
- Surgery: Surgery is also an option for treatment, which may help keep your urethra closed
Urinary incontinence is more common with age, due to risk factors such as menopause and enlarged prostate. Incontinence is also more common in pregnant women, those with prior hysterectomy or prostatectomy, those with neurologic conditions, and some medications.
You should urinate every 2-3 hours if you are regularly consuming liquid. This will prevent developing infections such as urinary tract infections that may cause incontinence.
Urinary incontinence can be caused by daily habits such as consuming excess alcohol, caffeine, or artificial sweeteners, medication. Incontinence can also be caused by urinary tract infections, constipation, pregnancy, menopause, hysterectomy, prostatectomy, or neurological conditions.
Your urologist will get a medical history and conduct a physical exam. If needed, urine analysis and further imaging tests of your urinary muscles may be required.
Treatment options can vary based on the severity of incontinence. Treatments can include behavioral techniques such as bladder training and fluid management, pelvic floor muscle exercises, medication, or surgery.
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control, varying from a slight loss of urine to complete inability to control urination. There are two types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence mainly affects women; urge incontinence affects both men and women.
Stress incontinence causes urine to leak when you exert pressure on your bladder, like laughing, coughing, sneezing, or exercising. Urge incontinence is the sudden and strong urge to urinate that causes you to involuntarily urinate.
There can be several causes for urinary incontinence, including age, underlying conditions, or risk factors. Treatment for urinary incontinence can include behavioral techniques, exercise, medication, and sometimes surgery.
At Urology Clinics of North Texas, we treat our patients like family. Discussing urinary incontinence may be uncomfortable, but if it is affecting your quality of life, you should discuss it with your doctor.
Urinary incontinence can be either stress incontinence or urge incontinence. Stress incontinence is when urine leaks due to pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercise. Urge incontinence is the sudden urge to urinate, resulting in the involuntary loss of urine.
It is common to have occasional leaks of urine. Incontinence is not a condition; it is a symptom caused by an underlying condition or everyday habit.
Causes of incontinence include:
- Daily habits such as consuming alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners,
- Medications such as blood pressure medication, sedatives or muscle relaxants
- Urinary tract infection
- Constipation
- Pregnancy
- Menopause, as well as aging in general
- Hysterectomy
- Prostatectomy
- Enlarged prostate or prostate cancer
- Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke, or spinal injury
It is possible for urinary incontinence to be temporary, mainly when it is caused by an underlying condition that can be treated. Some risk factors make it more likely to develop urinary incontinence, including:
Gender
Women are more prone to stress incontinence due to female anatomy. Men with prostate problems are also at higher risk for urge incontinence
Age
Bladder and ureter muscles may lose strength with age
Obesity
Extra weight can cause pressure on your bladder, allowing urine to leak out
Smoking
Tobacco use can cause urinary incontinence
You should discuss any urinary incontinence symptoms with your doctor, especially when it is affecting your quality of life.
Your doctor will first determine what type of urinary incontinence you have: stress or urge. Depending on which condition you are affected by, your treatment will be decided.
Your urologist will start with a medical history and physical exam. If you have stress incontinence, your doctor will ask you to cough to determine if it is causing incontinence. A urine sample will also be tested to check for any urinary conditions that could be causing incontinence.
If your doctor is not able to determine the cause, imaging, and testing of your bladder and urinary muscles may be ordered. Urge incontinence is sometimes associated with overactive bladder, which can be treated with medication.
If you have urinary incontinence caused by a treatable underlying condition, that will be the first course of action. If the treatment of the underlying condition does not relieve urinary incontinence, your doctor will suggest the least invasive treatments first.
Treatment options for urinary incontinence include:
- Behavioral techniques: Your doctor may suggest bladder training to strengthen your muscles, including scheduled bathroom breaks and fluid management.
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises, such as kegels to strengthen your muscles
- Medication: Your doctor may prescribe medication to relax your bladder muscles if you have an overactive bladder.
- Surgery: Surgery is also an option for treatment, which may help keep your urethra closed
Urinary incontinence is more common with age, due to risk factors such as menopause and enlarged prostate. Incontinence is also more common in pregnant women, those with prior hysterectomy or prostatectomy, those with neurologic conditions, and some medications.
You should urinate every 2-3 hours if you are regularly consuming liquid. This will prevent developing infections such as urinary tract infections that may cause incontinence.
Urinary incontinence can be caused by daily habits such as consuming excess alcohol, caffeine, or artificial sweeteners, medication. Incontinence can also be caused by urinary tract infections, constipation, pregnancy, menopause, hysterectomy, prostatectomy, or neurological conditions.
Your urologist will get a medical history and conduct a physical exam. If needed, urine analysis and further imaging tests of your urinary muscles may be required.
Treatment options can vary based on the severity of incontinence. Treatments can include behavioral techniques such as bladder training and fluid management, pelvic floor muscle exercises, medication, or surgery.
