Stress and Urge Incontinence: Which Do I Have?
Millions of Americans struggle with urinary incontinence. This bladder problem can have more than one cause. Stress and urge incontinence are common types, but how do you know which one you have?
Five Types of Incontinence: Which One Do You Have?
Urination is the end point of a process in which your body breaks down waste and excess water and removes it from your body after moving it through your urinary tract. This system filters the blood, separates the toxins from the nutrients, and removes what you don’t need through your kidneys, ureter, bladder, and urethra. Problems that affect any part of this system can make this necessary process harder, make urinating more difficult, and lead to embarrassing moments if you lose control of your bladder.
Urinary incontinence can cause a variety of problems for this system, striking any part of it and making urinating a difficult experience. You can find yourself struggling with multiple types of this condition, which come from different causes. Let’s explore these issues and how to treat them by examining the types of urinary incontinence, their causes and risk factors, and what methods of treatment are available.
If you live in the Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, or South Florida area and you’re trying to cope with the symptoms of urinary incontinence, Drs. Craig Herman and Steven Kester and their team at the Urology Center of Florida can help.
Types of incontinence
This loss of bladder control can range in severity from mild issues with dribbling before you can get to the bathroom. There are five types of urinary incontinence:
- Stress: urine leakage that results from exerting pressure on your bladder when doing things like coughing, sneezing, laughing, or lifting something
- Urge: the intense urge to empty your bladder, followed by an involuntary loss of urine, which can also be accompanied by frequent urinating
- Overflow: a bladder that doesn’t empty properly, causing you to dribble frequently or constantly
- Functional: a mental or physical impairment that prevents you from reaching the bathroom in a timely fashion
- Mixed: a combination of other types of incontinence, most commonly the stress and urge types
Causes and risk factors
Several things affect your chances of dealing with this illness, such as age, enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), bladder or prostate cancer, neurological conditions, infections in the urinary tract, diabetes, and obesity. This illness becomes more common as you get older, but it’s not a natural part of aging and should be treated as soon as symptoms appear. Other risk factors include bladder or kidney stones, prostate inflammation (prostatitis), and various medications for your blood pressure and heart, as well as muscle relaxants and sedatives.
Treatment options
Various options are available for managing and treating urinary incontinence, such as lifestyle changes, medications,and procedures. You can employ some methods of coping with this condition at home, like timed voidings (emptying your bladder on a regular schedule), using Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor, and avoiding drinking lots of fluids like caffeine before activities. Other changes like reaching a healthy weight, practicing bladder training, and using pads can also help reduce incidents.
A range of medications can help to reduce leaking, stabilize muscle contractions in the bladder, and relax bladder muscles. Procedures that can help include bulking agents, Botox® injections, neuromodulation devices, pelvic slings, and artificial urethral sphincters. The solution that best fits your needs will depend on the causes of your urinary incontinence.
If you’re seeing signs of this problem, make an appointment with Drs. Herman or Kester and their team at the Urology Center of Florida today to get the help you need. You can call us or send us a message online.
You Might Also Enjoy...
5 Signs You May Have BPH
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) is the shortened term for an enlarged prostate, an illness that becomes a greater risk for men as they age. It’s a manageable problem, but it means knowing the signs to look for and getting help as soon as possible.
Yes, Men Can Get Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormones are vital for your health, as they send signals that help regulate essential functions throughout your body. Imbalances in the levels of these chemicals can lead to problems in men that may require hormone replacement therapy.
Why Do My PSA Levels Keep Climbing?
As you get older, the chances of prostate problems increase, and when that happens, you should undergo tests to measure your PSA levels. If these levels are on the rise, you’ll need to know what they mean and how that affects your health.
Can Dehydration Cause Blood in My Urine?
We rely heavily on water: It makes up a large part of our overall volume, and we need to drink it regularly to stay alive. Dehydration can affect us in many ways, but can it cause hematuria, or blood in your urine? Read on to find out.
Am I Too Young to Have ED?
Millions of men struggle with erectile dysfunction, and, while it is more common as you get older, some factors can cause it to happen at a younger age than you might expect. Read on to find out more.