Bladder Leakage
Now is the time to break free from embarrassing “accidents”. Educate yourself about urinary incontinence-one of the most inconvenient yet highly treatable health conditions that affect the urinary tract.
Some topics are rather left alone. While you would hardly admit – much less discuss – your bladder control problems to friends or family, you do realize that these embarrassing accidents are keeping you from enjoying your time with them in activities and pursuits that you used to do together. Visits become shorter, activities less varied, and sometimes, where you would agree to go even depends on how close you can get to the nearest toilet.
When something affects your lifestyle and disrupts your normal routine this much, it’s time to get the topic out in the open with your doctor. According to the American Urological Association, more than 15 million men and women across different all ages suffer from bladder leakage or urinary incontinence. It’s more common than you think, and most people who experience it are suffering unnecessarily. If you or a family member have experienced episodes of accidental bladder leakages, it’s time to break the silence in order to get the treatment you or your loved ones need and deserve.
Quick Facts about Bladder Leakage
Bladder leakage, known medically as “Urinary Incontinence” or UI, is the accidental, or unintentional release of urine from the bladder. Here are some quick facts you should know:
- Federal and non-government health resources all acknowledge that UI is not a disease in itself but a health condition that is a symptom or effect of an underlying disease. This underlying health problem needs to be addressed, which makes bladder leakage a critical start in diagnosing your overall state of health.
- It occurs in men and women of different ages. However, experts agree that bladder leakage in women is more prevalent than cases found in men. Chances of developing UI also increase with age because of the natural aging of the bladder’s muscles which control urine movement.
- UI usually goes unreported for various reasons that include a patient’s reluctance to talk about it or the belief that it inevitably comes with age. According to the Mayo Clinic, “incontinence isn’t normal at any age – except infancy”. Bladder leakage is not something you have to live with just because of your advanced age.
There are several types of urinary incontinence:
- Stress Incontinence
Stress Incontinence (also called Stress Urinary Incontinence or SUI) is the accidental loss of bladder control caused by abdominal pressure that usually occurs when sneezing, straining, bending over, laughing, and coughing.
- Urge Incontinence
Urge Incontinence happens when you lose control of your bladder shortly after experiencing a strong urge to urinate. Also called “overactive bladder”, the urge is usually sudden enough that people experiencing it would be unable to reach the toilet fast enough.
- Overflow Incontinence
This condition is observed in people who urinate frequently, as their bladder is usually unable to contain the excessive urine. Dribbling and frequent urination is accompanied by incomplete emptying of the bladder.
- Mixed Incontinence
Sometimes people experience a combination of stress and urge urinary incontinence. These cases are referred to as mixed incontinence and require additional attention to relieve the combination of symptoms.
- Structural Incontinence
Structural incontinence occurs due to problems in the bladder itself or its surrounding organs. Some of these health problems include ectopic ureter, ureterovaginal fistula, and vesicovaginal fistula. For this reason, it’s important to seek medical attention in order to detect these problems.
- Functional Incontinence
This type of incontinence refers to the physical inability or difficulty to relieve one’s self in the toilet after feeling the urge to urinate. This inability or difficulty stems from any of the following health conditions: dementia, confusion, poor eyesight, poor mobility, poor dexterity, or drunkenness.
- Episodic Urinary Incontinence (nocturnal and diurnal)
Sometimes bladder leakage occurs only at night, in which case it is called a nocturnal episodic enuresis or bedwetting. Daytime or diurnal enuresis also occurs in certain circumstances, and children as well as older adults are known to suffer from either or both bedwetting and accidental peeing.
First Steps to Take if You Have Bladder Leakage
The first step is always the most challenging, and here we return to the topic of breaking your silence. Talk to your doctor about your bladder control problems so you can receive treatment such as recommended incontinence products, as well as possible diagnosis of underlying urologic diseases such as urinary tract infections. You can also educate yourself about UI to find out how to stop bladder leakage from taking control of your life. Remember that while some topics are rather left alone, there should never be a compromise when it comes to you and your family’s health.