Urinary incontinence is no laughing matter. It’s very common for people to struggle with full control of their bladder. Some people may leak urine during sudden bodily fluctuations like a sneeze. Other people may feel sudden overwhelming need to urinate, but be unable to reach the restroom in time.
Urinary incontinence is really a symptom. It’s a sign that something has gone wrong within the body in some fashion, since the body was intended to allow for a level of urinary control. There’s plenty of forms of urinary incontinence including urge incontinence, stress incontinence, overflow incontinence and functional incontinence. The good news is that there are a multitude of different ways that urinary incontinence can be treated or stopped.
This is a specific behavioral technique in which the body is taught that it needs to wait. Essentially, bladder training is about lengthening the delays in urination. From the first urge or feeling, a clock starts. At the beginning, the body may simply wait 5 or 10 minutes before going to the bathroom. This delay has to be continually worked on and pushed out. Ideally, after enough training, the bladder will only empty around every 3 hours.
There are quite a few different urinary incontinence products for women. This is due to the prevalence of so many different causes of urinary incontinence affecting women. From pregnancy, childbirth and urinary tract infections are all very common causes of urinary incontinence in women. Products may include absorbent pads to catch excess urine. Disposable underwear can work, as can incontinence panties which absorb urine and reduce any excess odor. Protective underpads are useful as women sleep, catching any excess and keeping mattresses (or other furniture if they are placed in a different location) clean and dry. For men, the most common product is usually a catheter. Catheters are inserted into the urethra to help drain out the bladder completely.
These exercises are more commonly known as kegel exercises. They are excellent when handling both stress and urge incontinence. For people working on kegel exercises, a doctor will give exact techniques and timing. Typically, the goal is to contract the muscles that usually are required to stop urination for a period of time, then relax for the same amount of time. Repetitions are performed throughout the day.
In some cases, medications may be taken to try and combat urinary incontinence. Medications obviously vary case by case depending on the underlying cause of urinary incontinence. Some medications work to calm an overactive bladder. Some try to relax the bladder muscle itself so it can fill up more, and empty completely. There are specific medications for both men and women that may affect hormones in the body to assist with urinary incontinence.
There are actually medical devices which can be used to assist women who suffer from urinary incontinence. The two most common are the Pessary and the Urethral Insert. The pessary is a ring shaped device worn inside the vagina all day. It’s of structural benefit. Prolapsed bladders can cause incontinence and leak urine. The pessary holds up the bladder and stops this urine leakage. The urethral insert is a disposable device and is intended for situations that promote incontinence. Some sports (tennis for example) have a high probability of causing urinary incontinence. The urethral insert is worn until completion of the activity. Then it’s removed during the next urination session.
