What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is loss of normal control of the bladder and involuntary loss of urine. Many people with urinary incontinence are too embarrassed. Urinary incontinence in some individuals may be a normal part of growing up and disappears naturally over the time. However, if not disappeared, requires treatment and improves when the underlying cause is treated.
Urinary incontinence is more common in women than men and older women experience urinary incontinence more often than younger women. The probable cause for higher incidence in women can be attributed to pregnancy and childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract.
Individuals with urinary incontinence may experience strong, sudden, urgent and uncontrollable need to urinate, frequent urination and also involuntary loss of urine.
Causes of Urinary Incontinence
Urinary Incontinence may be caused by any of these factors:
- Weak muscles in the lower urinary tract
- Problems either in the urinary tract or in the nerves that control urination
- Physiological status such as pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain or other conditions that stretch pelvic floor muscles
- Overactive bladder muscle
- Urinary tract infection
- Constipation
- Bladder cancer or bladder stones
- Blockage within the urinary tract
- Removal of the uterus (Hysterectomy)
- Neurological disorders
What are Basic types of Urinary Incontinence Symptoms?
Urinary incontinence can be categorized into five basic types depending on the symptoms:
- Stress Incontinence: Leakage of small amounts of urine during physical movement such as coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, and straining that suddenly increases the pressure within the abdomen.
- Urge Incontinence: Leakage of large amounts of urine at unexpected times, including during sleep.
- Overflow Incontinence: Uncontrollable leakage of small amount of urine because of an incompletely emptied bladder.
- Functional Incontinence: Refers to urine loss resulting from inability to get to a toilet.
- Mixed Incontinence: Mixed incontinence is the presence of two or more types of incontinence in an individual. Most commonly, urge and stress incontinence occur together.
Symptoms remain the mainstay of diagnosis and you may be ordered additional tests to identify and confirm the cause for incontinence. These tests include bladder stress test, urine analysis and urine culture, ultrasound diagnosis, cytoscopy and urodynamics.
Treatment for Urinary Incontinence
Treatment for urinary incontinence depends on the type of incontinence, its severity, the underlying cause, and your overall health. Whenever appropriate, treatment may begin with non-invasive approaches before considering medications or surgery.
Non-Invasive Treatments
Several non-invasive treatments can help improve bladder control and strengthen the muscles that support the bladder and urethra. These may include:
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises: Regular pelvic floor exercises can strengthen the muscles involved in controlling urination.
- Bladder training: Gradually increasing the time between bathroom visits may help improve bladder control, particularly for some people with urge incontinence.
- Lifestyle changes: Managing fluid intake, reducing bladder irritants, maintaining a healthy weight, and addressing constipation may help reduce symptoms.
- Electrical stimulation: In selected patients, controlled electrical stimulation may help activate and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
- EMSELLA® Chair: This non-invasive treatment uses electromagnetic stimulation to produce repeated pelvic floor muscle contractions. It may be considered for certain patients with stress, urge, or mixed urinary incontinence and other forms of pelvic floor weakness.
EMSELLA® Chair for Urinary Incontinence
The EMSELLA® Chair provides pelvic floor muscle stimulation while the patient remains fully clothed. The treatment does not require incisions, anaesthesia, or a surgical recovery period, and patients can generally return to their normal activities after a session.
EMSELLA® may be suitable for some women and men experiencing urinary incontinence, including pelvic floor weakness associated with ageing, childbirth, menopause, or following prostate surgery. A urological assessment can help determine whether EMSELLA® is an appropriate treatment based on the individual's symptoms and medical history.
Learn more about the EMSELLA® Chair
Medications
Depending on the underlying cause, medications may be recommended to help manage urinary urgency, frequency, or other bladder-control problems. Your urologist can determine whether medication is appropriate and discuss its potential benefits and side effects.
Surgical Treatments
When conservative and non-invasive treatments do not adequately control symptoms, surgery may be considered. Depending on the type and cause of urinary incontinence, surgical options may include:
- Urethral sling: A sling can provide support to the urethra and may be used to treat certain types of stress urinary incontinence.
- Colposuspension: This surgical procedure supports the bladder neck and urethra to help improve bladder control.
- Other procedures: Additional surgical or minimally invasive treatments may be considered depending on the individual's condition.