Part of an effective treatment for urinary incontinence is the proper diagnosis of which type of incontinence it is. Stress incontinence is just one of half a dozen types of urinary incontinence recognized by specialists. Learn more about this most prevalent type of bladder control problem.
Some stress can make your hands sweat and some can lead to bladder leakage.
If you think you read that wrong, think again: according to the Simon Foundation for Continence, urinary incontinence is more common than we think. It affects men and women across different age groups but it usually goes unreported because of some bladder leakage myths including the one that assumes that bladder leakage only happens to older adults. However, the “stress” in the case of stress incontinence refers to the pressure that affects the bladder, making it leak urine when you least expect it to.
What is Stress Incontinence?
The Mayo Clinic defines stress incontinence (also called stress urinary incontinence or SUI) as a condition where minimal but sudden pressure such as laughing, sneezing, coughing, standing up, bending over, or lifting heavy objects results in bladder leakage. You can see how embarrassing this condition can be for someone who suffers from it. There are quite a number of factors that result in stress incontinence, and according to The Simon Foundation for Continence, some of these factors include:
Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, or stroke
Prostate problems in men
Pregnancy and childbirth in women
Some types of medications and surgeries
Smoking
Constipation
Diabetes
Treatment for Stress Incontinence
The good news is that stress incontinence is curable and the treatment always begins with comfortable and non-invasive procedures. The American Urological Association lists the following as some of the most common treatment options for urinary stress incontinence:
Bladder Training
Bladder training helps you regain control of your bladder by framing the schedule and frequency of your bathroom visits. This type of bladder training is also called “Timed Voiding” wherein you urinate on a schedule even if you don’t have the urge to urinate. This puts your bladder on a consistent schedule so that bladder leakage will not interfere with your regular routine.
Dietary and Lifestyle Modification
Some types of food and drinks result to an overactive bladder. Sometimes cutting back on caffeine-rich drinks, sodas, alcohol, and other known bladder irritants provide relief. Water intake is also regulated although not greatly decreased since dehydration also results to bladder irritation.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Also called Kegel Exercises, these help to strengthen the sphincter and pelvic floor muscles so that you can regain control of your bladder. Once bladder control is restored, you can avoid having embarrassing bladder accidents.
Surgical Treatments
Surgical treatments are usually your Urologist or Urogynecologist’s last resort. These treatments have positive short-term and long-term results that can cure or help you manage your urinary stress incontinence. Some of the common ones used for treating stress incontinence include bulking agents introduced through periurethral injections and sub-urethral sling procedures.
Your doctor is still the best person to determine which of these treatment options will better benefit you. Seek medical attention for your bladder problem so that you can be free from the stressful effects of stress incontinence.-