Preventing and treating causes of urinary incontinence
Why you may need incontinence treatment
At first glance, it's easy to think of urinary incontinence as simply leaking urine, which is why the 'Should I seek medical attention?But the thought of not knowing when or how urine will leak can lead to anxiety and excessive stress, which can cause great inconvenience in daily life.
Experienced by about 40% of women, urinary incontinence is a condition in which urine leaks from the bladder against one's will, causing problems, and is more common in middle-aged women than in men.
Urinary incontinence is a treatable condition, so it's important to seek appropriate treatment with the help of a healthcare provider, as the discomfort and impact on quality of life can be significant if it's treated as a normal part of aging, ashamed or ignored.
- 1
Accurate diagnosis and treatment: Pinpointing the type of incontinence (urge, urge incontinence, etc.) and the cause is important for proper treatment planning.
- 2
Discover potential risks: Other health problems associated with urinary incontinence (cystitis, enlarged prostate) can be detected and treated. In rare cases, urinary incontinence can also be a sign of spinal cord disease.
- 3
Improve quality of life: Urinary incontinence can cause embarrassment, difficulty with daily activities, and a decrease in self-esteem, so proper treatment can significantly improve quality of life.
- 4Help prevent complications: Untreated urge incontinence, especially in cases of neurological disease, can lead to serious complications, including increased bladder pressure, kidney inflammation, and kidney failure.
- 5Personalized care: Considering the patient's condition, medical history, lifestyle, etc.
- 6The good thing about early diagnosis: The earlier urinary incontinence is treated, the better the outcome.
- 7
Check for comorbidities: Detect and treat other health problems related to urinary incontinence (e.g., cystitis, enlarged prostate).
Types of incontinence
Abdominal pressure incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the sudden straining of the abdomen due to coughing or sneezing, which causes urine to leak out. It often occurs after prostate surgery in men and after pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause in women.
Urge incontinence
Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom when your bladder is not fully filled with urine, or having to pee uncontrollably on the way to the bathroom.
Urge incontinence
Problems with urinary function, such as inability to completely empty the bladder and delayed urination, or inability to empty the bladder due to insufficient bladder pressure, causing it to refill and overflow.
How to self-test for urinary incontinence
- 1Urine leaks out when you cough or sneeze.
- 2I feel pain in my lower abdomen when I urinate.
- 3My stomach hurts when I urinate.
- 4On your way to the bathroom, you can't hold it in and urine leaks out.
- 5You urinate in your sleep more than 2 times a night.
- 6I don't feel better after urinating.
- 7I've leaked urine during sex.
Causes of urinary incontinence in middle-aged women
Shorter urethra compared to men
Elevated abdominal pressure
Pregnancy and childbirth effects
Medications and stress
Hyperacusis
Pelvic muscle relaxation due to aging
Menopause and hormonal changes
Eating foods that irritate the bladder
How to treat urinary incontinence
Your doctor will decide how to treat you after consulting with you, taking into account the type of incontinence, severity, and your condition.
For combined incontinence, surgical treatment for overflow incontinence may be combined with medication for urge incontinence
โช๏ธ Midurethral sling surgeryA method of supporting the urethra with an artificial tape, used primarily for stress urinary incontinence in women.
โช๏ธ Botulism toxin injectionsSurgery to inject botulism toxin into the bladder to inhibit overcontraction of the detrusor muscle, used for urge incontinence
โช๏ธ Sacroiliac nerve manipulationA treatment that stimulates the sacral nerve, which connects the anus and rectum, to relieve tension in the bladder and pelvic muscles to control urination.
โช๏ธ Bladder volume augmentationTreatments to improve urination function by increasing the volume of the bladder that stores urine
โช๏ธ Artificial Urethral Sphincter InsertionA treatment used for urinary incontinence after prostate surgery in men, effective for patients with difficulty controlling urination
โช๏ธ Pelvic floor exercises (Kegel exercises): Exercises to help treat urinary incontinence by strengthening the sphincter, repeating each exercise 10 times at least 8 to 10 times a day.
โช๏ธ Biofeedback: How to exercise with a monitor that detects pelvic floor contractions
โช๏ธ Electrostimulation therapyStimulates the pelvic floor muscles with a mild electric current to strengthen and contract the muscles to improve urinary control.
โช๏ธ Extracorporeal magnetic field therapyImproves urination function by stimulating muscles and nerves with magnetic fields
โช๏ธ Behavioral therapy: Train your bladder by holding and collecting urine while controlling your fluid intake.
โช๏ธ MedicationsUse of anticholinergics or beta3 receptor agonists for urgency incontinence, and no medication for urge incontinence in women
To help with incontinence Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises (Kegel exercise) is a method of exercising the pelvic floor muscles, first developed by American gynecologist Arnold Kegel. It was developed to treat female urinary incontinence by strengthening pelvic muscles that have become stretched due to childbirth or aging. Pelvic floor exercisesfor the name.
Kegel exercises have become popular as a sexual enhancement exercise, as they have been found to be effective not only for urinary incontinence, but also for promoting sexual sensation. Our muscles get weaker with each passing day, and as they get weaker, our body's ability to contract and relax deteriorates, so doing Kegel exercises every day is a great way to help prevent incontinence.
- For maximum effectiveness, it's best to do it every day, morning and evening.
- We recommend doing 10 repetitions of each movement at least 8 to 10 times a day.
- Kegel exercises may seem tedious at first, but with practice, you'll be able to do them in a short amount of time.
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