Urinary incontinence can make your life more difficult, and who needs that! But there is good news. There are treatments and cures available that can greatly improve your quality of life. Below is some information about this condition and how to best deal with it.
What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control that results in an inability to hold your urine until you get to the toilet. Symptoms can range from mild leaking (dribbles) to uncontrollable wetting. Loss of bladder control can be a frustrating and embarrassing problem, but it is important to know that it can be treated and controlled, if not cured so you can lead a normal life again.
Who is likely to suffer from incontinence?
It can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender and background, but tends to be more common in women and the elderly. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from this condition. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. Some statistics show that out of an estimated 13 million adults in the US affected by urinary incontinence, approximately 85 percent of those are women.
Both women and men can became incontinent from neurologic injury, birth defects, strokes, multiple sclerosis, physical problems associated with aging, and other physical problems.
There are several different types of urinary incontinence:
Stress incontinence
Leakage of small amounts of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising and lifting heavy objects.
Urge incontinence
Leakage of large amounts of urine at unexpected times, including during sleep.
Functional incontinence
Leakage because of physical or mental disability or external obstacles.
