Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women
Urinary Incontinence in Women: What We Need to Know
- Urinary incontinence is defined as the inadvertent loss of urine.
- Over 8-45% million adult women have acute or chronic urine incontinence
- This illness can strike at any age, but it is more prevalent in women over the age of 50
- Urinary incontinence can be classified into four types: urgency, stress, functional, and overflow
- Behavioural therapies, medicines, nerve stimulation, and surgery are among the treatments available for treating urine incontinence
Urinary incontinence (UI) is defined as the accidental loss of urine. It can be a transient side effect of a more serious disease and can range from the discomfort of minor leakage to severe, regular wetness. Urinary incontinence is not an unavoidable consequence of ageing, but it is especially prevalent in the elderly. It is frequently induced by specific changes in physiological function, which might be caused by diseases, medication use, or the development of an illness. It may be the solitary symptom of a urinary tract infection. Women are more likely to have urine incontinence during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as following the hormonal changes of menopause.
Urinary incontinence can be classified into the following types:
- Urgency incontinence is the inability to hold urine long enough to use the loo. It is connected with frequent urination and a strong, sudden need to urinate. It might be a distinct ailment, but it can also be an indicator of other diseases or conditions that require medical treatment.
- Stress incontinence is defined as the flow of urine during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, carrying heavy things, or other body motions and movements that increase strain on the bladder.
- Functional incontinence is defined as urine leaking caused by physical ailments such as arthritis, injury, or other difficulties that make it difficult to reach a lavatory on time.
- Overflow incontinence is when the amount of urine generated surpasses the bladder's ability to contain it.
What are the signs of urinary incontinence?
The following are typical symptoms of urine incontinence. However, each individual's symptoms may differ. Symptoms could include:
- Having to run to the loo and/or leaking urine if you don't get there on time
- Urine leaking during movement or exertion
- Urine leakage that prevents activities
- Urinary leaks during coughing, sneezing, or laughing
- Urine leakage that starts or continues after any surgery
- Urine leakage that can be embarrassing
- Constant wetness without the sense of leakage
- Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
What are the treatments for urinary incontinence?
- Your doctor will decide the appropriate treatment for urinary incontinence based on:
- Your age, general health, and medical history
- Type of incontinence and the severity of the condition
- Your tolerance to specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
- Expectations regarding the progression of the disease
- Your opinion or preference
The following tips can help women with urinary incontinence improve their condition:
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Your pelvic floor muscles help you hold your urine. You may leak if your muscles are weakened by pregnancy, prostate surgery, or being overweight. You can strengthen your muscles to alleviate symptoms.
The exercise that works these muscles is known as the Kegel.
"Make it a habit to do them every day, roughly every two hours. They can effectively stop or greatly reduce leakage."
Pelvic floor exercises can also help if you have an urgent need to urinate.
"They are termed quick flicks. Rapidly relax and tighten the muscles. Many times, this will eliminate the sense of urgency."
Less Liquids
When your bladder is full, your chances of having an accident increase. If you drink too much of anything, including water, you may have an urgent need to pee. Limit your use of caffeine and alcohol, both of which cause increased urine production. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluids each day. Cut back after 4 p.m. if you leak overnight. But drink throughout the day. If you don't, your body will continue to produce urine, but it will be concentrated and irritate the lining of your bladder. This can induce more of a desire to use the washroom frequently.
A Bathroom Schedule
"You can't leak if your bladder is empty," urology professors explain. "Urinate before you feel the urge, so you don't have an accident. If you know you have an urge every 3 hours, go every 2 1/2 hours."
If you have to go too frequently, attempt to increase the time between visits. Combine bladder training with pelvic floor exercises for optimal results.
"Go every two hours this week, then every two and a quarter hour the next week. You only realise you delayed too long after an accident, therefore this is a home approach."
Wearable devices
Placing a support in the vagina could help avoid leakage. Your doctor may fit you with a soft silicone device known as a pessary. Or they may advise you to use a tampon to reduce leakage.
"We often recommend tampons for women who just leak when they go running," according to physicians. "You don't want to wear a tampon all the time, but it's convenient for an activity like this."
Remember to use no more than two tampons per day and change them every 6 hours to avoid toxic shock syndrome.Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Incontinence Treatment, Types of Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Incontinence Causes, Stress Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Incontinence Exercises, Urinary Incontinence Symptoms, Reasons for Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Incontinence in Women, Pelvic Floor Exercises, Pelvic Floor Exercises for Women
Weight Loss
Extra weight can induce leaks by putting pressure on the bladder or the urethra, which is the tube that leads from the bladder.
"This is mostly related to stress incontinence and leaks from coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting," experts explain. "Studies have shown that women who are heavier tend to have more problems, and weight loss sometimes can help."
Despite the widespread stigma surrounding the problem, with less than half of patients seeking help and instead settling for a poor quality of life, almost all cases of incontinence can be cured.
It should be clear that there is no shame in incontinence, and treatment can help you feel better and more confident!