Health care for a better life

Archive for the ‘Incontinence’ Category

There are many causes of your inability to control your urine. Injury, age factors a and also genetics could have a role to play. There are some other causes also. However, it’s important to know what you can do to enable you face your daily life with confidence. There are also some cases where your bladder could contract and let out urine even if it’s not full yet hence making it hard for you to control the urine. You could also be one of the millions of people whose urethral outlet does not function appropriately hence letting out urine without warning. When this happens, it’s pretty hard to know that you are letting out urine hence it’s important that you use incontinence products to remedy the situation. Furthermore, stress could be a major cause of this defect hence it’s also important that you try as hard as possible to reduce your stress levels if at all you have to succeed in controlling the situation.

Incontinence products can be injected at a place which lies within a reasonable distance from the urinary opening.

This helps to increase the pressure that could be available at the urethral opening hence making it be strong enough to make it hard for urine to come out without knowing.

Many people who have bladder control problems have muscles that are either too weak or too active. Those who have weak bladders may urinate involuntarily when they sneeze or even when they laugh. This makes it a great embarrassment. Furthermore, there are those whose bladders are too active hence having the urge to visit the toilet many times. However, the effect of all this can be reduced or controlled with incontinence pads.

In addition to the incontinence pads, you may be required to exercise lightly, take some special medicines or do some specific things that are recommended by your physician. This will help a lot in containing the situation at all times. You will appreciate the fact that when these are combined, there are higher chance s that you will achieve better results always hence making it important that you stick to the advice and recommendations of your doctor.

Incontinence pads are easily found in the shops, hospitals and chemists hence whenever in need of one, it’s pretty important that you get it from your nearest location. BED PADS.You will appreciate the fact that you will be at a position to enjoy a high quality product at a price that’s so affordable. There are shops that sell it online hence offering you a wider choice. You can also choose from the many brands and types of incontinence products. There are many designs and sizes to choose from hence making it possible for everyone to have one that fits him or her.

Incontinence is a medical symptom, and it deserves the same attention you would give to any other medical problem. Incontinence in men has become a more frequent occurrence in recent times, mainly as a side effect of radical surgery for cancer.

Male incontinence is a common problem, which can cause considerable distress and embarrassment for the patient. Prostate problems and related treatments are the most frequent causes of urinary incontinence in men. Incontinence in men is diagnosed by any doctor, but is treated and evaluated by a urologist.

It remains largely a neglected problem despite the fact that it is highly treatable and often curable. Incontinence from surgery follows such operations as hysterectomies, caesarean sections, prostatectomies, lower intestinal surgery, or rectal surgery.

Incontinence can be caused by diabetes, a stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, some surgeries. Although incontinence is a common condition, fewer than 40 percent of incontinent individuals seek medical advice. Perhaps the most important reason of all to seek diagnosis for your incontinence is to live life to the fullest.

The two most common types of urinary incontinence are stress incontinence and urge incontinence. It is important to distinguish between the two types of incontinence because therapies vary, although the two types of incontinence do share some common treatments.

For urge incontinence, medications are commonly prescribed. The best treatment depends on the cause of your incontinence and your personal preferences. In men, an enlarged prostate gland can obstruct the bladder, causing overflow incontinence. Men who undergo prostate surgery can suffer from temporary stress incontinence as a result of damage to the urethral outlet.

Stress incontinence is an involuntary release of urine that occurs when pressure is put on the abdomen during activities such as sneezing, laughing, or exercising. Some people with severe stress incontinence may change their activity level to avoid movements such as jumping or running, which can cause greater leakage of urine.

Stress incontinence, on the other hand, is rarely treated by medications. Mild to moderate stress incontinence may be effectively treated with exercise therapy, medications, or both. Surgery to add support forthe bladder neck is usually needed for severe stress incontinence that does notrespond to medication or exercise. Other options for the treatment of incontinence include mechanical devices called pessaries, intermittentself-catheterization (which is not used for stress incontinence), and absorbentpads or undergarments. The decision about which treatment to use for stress incontinence takes into account your personal feelings and the medical facts.

Despite the high success rates in treating incontinence, only one out of every twelve people affected seeks help. One of the most important and pressing reasons for early diagnosis is that incontinence is always a symptom of something else happening in the body. For instance, incontinence can be precipitated by the natural changes in the body due to aging, such as loss of muscle tone and strength in women or the enlargement of the prostate gland in men.

A second important motivation for early diagnosis of incontinence is that by determining and treating the underlying cause, your incontinence may be cured. Some of the more common procedures performed to treat urinary incontinence include, bladder neck suspension or sling procedures, periurethral bulking injections (collagen injections around the urethra), or implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter or sacral nerve stimulator.

Stress Incontinence in WomenStress incontinence is the most common form of urinary incontinence. The main treatment which often works well is to do exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles (pelvic floor exercises). In some cases medication may help in addition to exercises if exercises alone do not work. A treatment option in some cases is surgery to ‘tighten’ or support the bladder outlet.

Understanding urine and the bladder

Urinary tract

The kidneys make urine all the time. A trickle of urine is constantly passing to the bladder down the ureters (the tubes from the kidneys to the bladder). You make different amounts of urine depending on how much you drink, eat and sweat.

The bladder is made of muscle and stores the urine. It expands like a balloon as it fills with urine. The outlet for urine (the urethra) is normally kept closed. This is helped by the muscles beneath the bladder that sweep around the urethra (the pelvic floor muscles). When a certain amount of urine is in the bladder, you become aware that the bladder is getting full. When you go to the toilet to pass urine, the bladder muscle contracts (squeezes), and the urethra and pelvic floor muscles relax.

Complex nerve messages are sent between the brain, the bladder, and the pelvic floor muscles. These tell you how full your bladder is, and tell the right muscles to contract or relax at the right time.

What is stress incontinence?

Stress incontinence is when urine leaks when there is a sudden extra pressure (‘stress’) on the bladder. Urine leaks because your pelvic floor muscles and urethra cannot withstand the extra pressure. The incontinence develops because the pelvic floor muscles are weakened. Small amounts of urine may leak, but sometimes it can be quite a lot.

Urine tends to leak most when you cough, laugh, or when you exercise (like when you jump or run). In these situations there is sudden extra pressure within the abdomen and on the bladder.

How common is stress incontinence?

Stress incontinence is the most common form of urinary incontinence. Stress incontinence becomes more common in older women and as many as 1 in 5 women over the age of 40 have some degree of stress incontinence.

The second most common type of incontinence is urge incontinence. Briefly, urge incontinence is when you get an urgent desire to pass urine from an ‘overactive bladder’. Urine may leak before you have time to get to the toilet. Treatment is different frpm stress incontinence. Some people have both stress incontinence and urge incontinence.

There are other less common causes of incontinence. Note: you should always see your doctor if you develop incontinence. There are different causes of incontinence, and each cause has different treatments. Your doctor will assess you to determine the cause and advise on possible treatment options.

What causes stress incontinence?

Bladder

Most cases of stress incontinence are due to weakened pelvic floor muscles. The common reason for the pelvic floor muscles to become weakened is childbirth. The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that wrap around the underside of the bladder and rectum. Stress incontinence is common in women who have had children. It is also more common with increasing age as the muscles become weaker, particularly after the menopause. Stress incontinence is also more common in women who are obese.

What are the treatment options for stress incontinence?

The usual first treatment is to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. About 6 in 10 cases of stress incontinence can be cured or much improved with this treatment. Medication may be advised in addition to pelvic floor exercises in some cases. Surgery may be advised if the problem persists and other treatments have not worked well.

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles – ‘pelvic floor exercises’It is important that you exercise the correct muscles.

Learning to exercise the right muscles:

1. Sit in a chair with your knees slightly apart. Imagine you are trying to stop wind escaping from your anus (back passage). You will have to squeeze the muscle just above the entrance to the anus. You should feel some movement in the muscle. Don’t move your buttocks or legs. 2. Now imagine you are passing urine and are trying to stop the stream. You will find yourself using slightly different parts of the pelvic floor muscles to the first exercise (ones nearer the front). These are the ones to strengthen. If you are not sure that you are exercising the right muscles, put a couple of fingers into your vagina. You should feel a gentle squeeze when doing the exercise.

Doing the exercises:

1. You need to do the exercises every day. 2. Sit, stand or lie with your knees slightly apart. Slowly tighten your pelvic floor muscles under the bladder as hard as you can. Hold to the count of five, then relax. Repeat at least five times. These are called slow pull-ups. 3. Then do the same exercise quickly for a second or two. Repeat at least five times. These are called fast pull-ups. 4. Keep repeating the five slow pull ups and the five fast pull ups for five minutes. 5. Aim to do the above exercises for about five minutes at least three times a day, and preferably 6-10 times a day. 6. Ideally, do each five minute exercise in a different position each time. That is, sometimes when sitting, sometimes when standing, and sometimes when lying down. 7. As the muscles become stronger, increase the length of time you hold each slow pull-up. You are doing well if you can hold each slow pull-up for a count of 10 (about 10 seconds). 8. Do not squeeze other muscles at the same time as you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. For example, do not use any muscles in your back, thighs, buttocks, or stomach. 9. In addition to the times you set aside to do the exercises, try to get into the habit of doing pelvic floor exercises while going about everyday life. For example, when answering the phone, when washing up, etc. 10. After several weeks the muscles will start to feel stronger. You may find you can squeeze the pelvic floor muscles for much longer without the muscles feeling tired.

It takes time, effort and practice to become good at these exercises. You should start to see benefits after a few weeks. However, it often takes 8-20 weeks for most improvement to occur. After this time you may be cured from stress incontinence. If you are not sure that you are doing the correct exercises, ask a doctor, or urologist for advice.

If possible, continue exercising as a part of everyday life for the rest of your life to stop the problem recurring. Once incontinence has gone, you may only need to do 1-2 five minutes of exercise each day to keep the pelvic floor muscles strong and toned up, and incontinence away.

These are in addition to the above exercises:

* Electrical stimulation. Sometimes a special electrical device is used to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles with the aim of making them contract and become stronger. * Vaginal cones. These are small plastic cones that you put inside your vagina for about 15 minutes, twice a day. The cones come in a set of different weights. At first, the lightest cone is used. You need to use your pelvic floor muscles to hold the cone in place. So, it is a way to help you to exercise your pelvic floor muscles. Once you can hold onto the lightest one comfortably, you move up to the next weight, and so on. It is best to get the advice from a physician before using any. One general point is that if you use one, it should be in addition to, not instead of, the standard pelvic floor exercises described above.

If you are past the menopause and take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the estrogen in the HRT affects the tissues around the vagina and urethra. This helps to improve the symptoms of stress incontinence in some women. However, HRT is not as effective as pelvic floor exercises in curing the problem.

SurgeryVarious surgical operations are used to treat stress incontinence. They tend only to be used when the above treatments have not helped. The operations aim to ‘tighten’ or support the muscles and structures below the bladder. Surgery is often successful.

Some general lifestyle measures which may help

* Your doctor may refer you to the local gynecologist or urologist who can give advice on medications, treatments, especially pelvic floor exercises. If incontinence remains a problem, they can also give lots of advice on how to manage. For example, they may be able to supply various appliances and aids to help such as incontinence pads, etc. * Getting to the toilet. Make this as easy as possible. If you have difficulty getting about, consider special adaptations like a handrail or a raised seat in your toilet. Sometimes a commode in the bedroom makes life much easier. * Obesity. It is known that stress incontinence is more common in women who are obese. If you are obese, losing weight may help to ease the problem. * Smoking can cause cough which can aggravate symptoms. It would help not to smoke.

Can stress incontinence be prevented?

It is thought that if you do regular pelvic floor exercises (as described above) after you have a baby, then stress incontinence is less likely to develop in the future.