Becoming Familiar with Urine Incontinence and its Treatment


Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control which is characterized by involuntary leakage of urine. It is a common problem that often becomes a source of embarrassment. The severity can range from the leakage of urine when you cough or sneeze to having a strong urge to urinate (so much so that you are unable to make it to the toilet at times).  Although the phenomenon is more common in the elderly, urinary incontinence isn’t a consequence of aging. If your daily activities are affected by urinary incontinence, do not hesitate to see a doctor. Besides being a medical problem, urinary incontinence can also affect a person-emotionally, psychologically and socially. Simple lifestyle changes and medical treatment can help treat the discomfort associated with urinary incontinence.

Treatment
Depending on the type, severity, and cause of urinary incontinence, a combination of treatments might be required to treat the condition. Your doctor is more likely to put you on least invasive treatments first before moving on to the other options. Mentioned below are the types of treatments that are considered for treating urinary incontinence-
Behavioral Techniques
Your doctor may recommend:
·         Bladder Training: This involves holding off for 10 minutes, each time you feel the urge to urinate. The technique is aimed at lengthening the time between your trips to the toilet to at least 2.5-3.5 hours.
·         Double Voiding: This involves urinating and waiting before retrying. The technique helps you empty your bladder completely to prevent overflow incontinence.
·         Scheduled Toilet Trips: This involves urinating every two to four hours instead of waiting for the need to go.
·         Fluid and Diet Management: This involves regaining control of your bladder by cutting back on alcohol, acidic foods, and caffeine. Losing weight, reducing the liquid consumption and increasing physical activity can also help ease out the problem.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises
Also known as kegel exercises, these are aimed at strengthening the muscles that help control urination. Both stress incontinence and urge incontinence can be treated with the help of these exercises. It involves tightening the muscles that are used to stop urinating and holding for five seconds before relaxing again. The time can gradually be increased to ten seconds. Three sets of ten repetitions must be aimed for on an everyday basis.
Electrical stimulation
Electrical stimulation is the technique which involves the insertion of electrodes into the rectum or vagina temporarily, for the purpose of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Gentle electrical stimulation is ideal for both urge incontinence and stress incontinence but multiple treatments might be required over several months.
Absorbent pads and catheters
If medical treatments don’t completely eliminate your incontinence, there are many products that can help ease the discomfort and inconvenience such as:
·         Pads and Protective Garments: Most products these days can easily be worn under everyday clothing and are not very bulky. A drip collector is an ideal tool for those men who have problems with dribbles of urine. It is a small pocket of absorbent padding that can be worn over the penis and held in place with the help of close-fitting underwear.
·         Catheter: If your incontinence is because of the reason that you are unable to empty your bladder completely, you might be recommended to use soft tube catheter several times a day to drain the bladder. If you are bedridden or have problems moving, urine bag catheters are more ideal.
It is also advisable to keep all the basic medical supplies such as wound care dressings , thermometer, glucometer, etc. handy to take care of last-minute emergencies. 


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