Urinary incontinence
| Urinary incontinence | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Involuntary urination |
 | |
| Anatomy of the lower urinary tract and genital system. The top diagram shows the female urinary system, and the bottom shows the male urinary system. | |
| Medical specialty | Urology, gynecology |
| Symptoms | burning, itching |
| Frequency | Common |
Urinary incontinence is another name for not being able to control when or where urination (peeing) happens.
Definition and symptoms
Urinary incontinence can mean accidental urination. It is a common condition (especially in people over 65). It has a big effect a person's life. Other problems may exist alongside urinary continence. These problems affect the same part of the body. Sometimes the problem is something physical. It is an important problem in healthcare for older people. It happens to a lot of people.
Urinary incontinence can be a source of shame. This can be when the urinary incontinence is caused by an UI or UTI from unsafe sex. This shame makes the problem worse. This is because some people may be too embarrassed to seek medical help for urinary incontinence.
Cause and diagnosis
Many things can cause urinary incontinence. Pelvic surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are major risk factors for urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence can be a symptom of another condition. Some people might not even tell their doctor about it. There are four main types of urinary incontinence:
- Urge incontinence due to an bladder problem
- Stress incontinence due to urethral sphincter muscle weakness
- Overflow incontinence due to either weak bladder or blockage of the urethra
- Mixed incontinence involving features of more than one type
Treatment and epidemiology
There are treatments for urinary incontinence. These things can help: pelvic floor muscle training, bladder training, surgery, and electrical stimulation. Counselling works better than medication for stress and urge incontinence. The benefit of medications is small and long term safety is unclear. Urinary incontinence is more common in older women.
Related pages
References
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- ↑ Venes D (2013). Taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. ISBN 9780803629776.
- ↑ "My bladder and bowel own my life." A collaborative workshop addressing the need for continence research (PDF). Age UK. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ↑ "Urinary incontinence fact sheet". Womenshealth.gov. July 16, 2012. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- ↑ "Medicinewise News". NPS MedicineWise. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
- ↑ Ghosh AK (2008). Mayo Clinic internal medicine concise textbook. Rochester, MN: Mayo Clinic Scientific Press. p. 339. ISBN 9781420067514.
- ↑ Santoro GA, Murad-Regadas S, Causa L, Mellgren A (19 November 2013). Gaspari AL, Pierpaolo S (eds.). Pelvic Floor Disorders: Surgical Approach. Milan: Springer. p. 58. ISBN 978-88-470-5441-7. OCLC 863638540.
- 1 2 Shamliyan, T.; Wyman, J.; Kane, R. L. (April 2012). "Nonsurgical Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Adult Women: Diagnosis and Comparative Effectiveness". Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). PMID 22624162.
- ↑ Balk EM, Rofeberg VN, Adam GP, Kimmel HJ, Trikalinos TA, Jeppson PC (April 2019). "Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Clinical Outcomes". Annals of Internal Medicine. 170 (7): 465–479. doi:10.7326/M18-3227. PMID 30884526.
- ↑ "Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults". National Institute on Aging. Retrieved 18 March 2018.