A continence assessment is performed by a healthcare professional to assess your ability to control bladder or bowel function and to determine factors that may be contributing to incontinence.
A continence assessment is essential for continence management and generally consists of two parts: an interview and a physical assessment. In addition, you may be asked to complete a bladder diary prior to your assessment. A bladder diary is a diary of symptoms and what you were doing at the time symptoms occurred. For example, you may be asked to record how many times you were incontinent; activities you were doing at the time of incontinence; how much fluid you drank and when, and other things that may be associated with incidences of incontinence. A bladder diary can provide valuable clues as to the type of incontinence you are facing and activities that may be contributing to incontinence.
The interview portion of a continence assessment consists of a series of questions, some of which may seem unrelated to your problem; however, there is an underlying purpose for all questions asked. You may be asked the following:
- Prior medical history
- Medications you are taking
- Overall health/general health
- Weight
- Alcohol use/caffeine use
- Smoking history
- Pregnancy/childbirth history (for women)
- History of prostate problems (for men)
- Whether you are menopausal (for women)
- Problem with frequent constipation
- Diabetic or symptoms of diabetes
The physical assessment portion of the continence exam may include a urinalysis to check for kidney or bladder problems, like an infection. In addition, your healthcare professional (usually a nurse continence specialist or a physician) may perform a physical exam, including a vaginal exam for women and a rectal exam for men. This is done to assess the strength of pelvic floor muscles, evidence of prolapse (women) or prostate disease (men). A physical assessment may make it easier for the healthcare professional to pinpoint a physical problem that may be causing incontinence.
A continence assessment can help to determine the cause of incontinence, as well as provide ideas on how to manage incontinence. From the continence assessment, it may be determined that more tests are required to determine the cause of the problem, or the underlying cause for the incontinence may be clearly evident. Anyone who is suffering from incontinence should have a continence assessment done by a trained professional.
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