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Posts Tagged ‘Types of Incontinence’

Understanding Mixed Urinary Incontinence

Friday, February 12th, 2010

There are many factors that contribute to mixed urinary incontinence or just incontinence in general for that matter. While incontinence is generally associated with older people, they have not necessarily cornered the market on incontinence. While ageing and the general deterioration of muscle strength that goes along with it certainly can cause urinary incontinence, the condition is caused by a litany of other things as well. In general women suffer from adult incontinence more frequently than men, however side effects from surgeries, injuries, disease and ageing happen to both men and women. The big factor that uniquely affects women is pregnancy and childbirth taking its toll on the muscles of the pelvic floor.

There are several different kinds of incontinence, each having an unique cause. Stress incontinence happens when pressure is exerted on the bladder and causes urinary leakage. Something as benign as a laugh, cough or sneeze is enough to cause accidental leakage. This type of incontinence is caused by damage or a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.

Another type of incontinence is urge incontinence, which happens when you must empty your bladder immediately even where there is no toilet in sight, and so you have an accident. Urge incontinence is sometimes also referred to as overactive bladder, because it is the uncontrollable bladder contraction that causes the urinary incontinence. This is the type of incontinence that is most commonly found among older people.

Stress incontinence coupled with urge incontinence is known as mixed urinary incontinence, but generally when people suffer from mixed incontinence, even though both types of incontinence are present, one or the other is definitely more pronounced, and that is the set of symptoms that you will usually want to treat first.

There are many different treatments for mixed urinary incontinence depending on what the underlying causes of the problems are. In some cases behavioral therapy or a simple lifestyle change is all that is needed to handle the problem. Pelvic floor exercises, vaginal cones, and biofeedback can help to strengthen lax pelvic floor muscles. Then medication and surgery are available for more serious cases of incontinence. So depending on the type of incontinence that you have, treatment options are numerous and varied.

While you are determining what the cause and proper treatments are for your mixed urinary incontinence problems, you can still live your life happily and confidently by managing your incontinence problems. Finding the right incontinence products helps you stay active and engaged in social activities. DryForLife has a full range of incontinence products that can help any level of incontinence problem, and they can be ordered online, by phone or through the mail for speedy, discreet delivery.

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Intimacy and Incontinence

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

The words “intimacy” and “incontinence” may not seem as if they should exist together in the same sentence–if you suffer from incontinence, you may feel less like being intimate with your partner. Fear of leakage of urine at an inopportune time may cause you to shy away from the physical aspect of your relationship with a significant other. Both women and men may feel embarrassed or ashamed if they suffer from incontinence. This does not need to be the case. There are a few things you can do to decrease the liklihood of incontinence during intimacy.

Decreasing your fluid intake for a few hours prior to engaging in intimacy with your partner will help to ensure that your bladder does not become overly full. Emptying your bladder just prior to intimacy will also decrease the chance of any leakage. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine can also assist you in avoiding the problem.

The biggest barrier to intimacy when one partner suffers from incontinence is lack of communication. You may find it difficult to broach the subject with your partner, but discussing the issue, your fears and your feelings will go a long way towards making you both feel more comfortable. Your partner may also have concerns, such as fear of causing discomfort. Chances are, you will both have some concerns in common, and getting them out into the open will help both of you to get past your fears. Open communication about the issue, along with a discussion regarding ways to make you both feel more comfortable, will boost your intimacy to a new level. Incontinence does not mean an end to intimacy; it simply requires honesty and openness in discussing how to approach and cope with the situation together.

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Nocturia- When Your Bladder Won’t Let You Sleep

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Nocturia, or frequent voiding at night, can be a troublesome problem that robs you of sleep and causes excessive daytime sleepiness. When it is coupled with incontinence, the problem can be a true nightmare. What causes the problem? There can be many contributing factors to noctiria, including excesive fluid intake too close to bedtime, side effects of certain medications, and drinking beverages containing alcohol and caffeine, which may act as diuretics. Nocturia may be coupled with other voiding problems, such as stress incontinence, urge incontinence (overactive bladder) or overflow incontinence.

What can be done about it? The first step in coping with nocturia may be to eliminate some of the above factors that may be contributing to the problem. By avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages and caffeine-containing beverages too close to bedtime, you may find that your need to void during the night is decreased. If you feel that your medications may be contributing to the problem, you should speak to your physician about changing your medication times. Your physician may also want to rule out other, more serious, causes.

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What is Incontinence Biofeedback?

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Biofeedback is a method of understanding an action that takes place in the body through the use of lights or sounds. Biofeedback can be used in incontinence to help women who are having difficulty in learning to control their pelvic floor muscles. Because pelvic floor muscles do not come neatly labelled, some women have trouble locating these muscles in order to peform Kegel exercises.

Biofeedback is used as a tool to teach you how to isolate and exercise these muscles, which are so important in bladder control. Using sounds and computer graphs, a therapist can help you to exercise the all-important pelvic floor muscles, which can help improve incontinence.

Biofeedback is not painful. During biofeedback, sensors are placed on either side of the anus, as this is where the pelvic floor muscles are closest to the surface. Sensors are also placed on the abdomen because many women use their abdominal muscles instead of their pelvic floor muscles when performing Kegels. A graph and lights and/or sounds will be emitted from the computer attached to the sensors while you are performing Kegels, and you will be able to see clearly when you are using your muscles correctly. Most women require only a few sessions before they are able to perform Kegels effectively and efficiently.

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Diuretics and Incontinence

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

A diuretic can be defined as any drug that increases the amount of urination. Drugs in this class act in different ways, but they all have the same result- forced urination.

Diuretics may be prescribed to treat any number of conditions, such as edema (swelling), heart failure, liver disease and kidney disease. Lasix (furosemide), Aldactone (spironolactone) and Hydrochlorothiazide are all types of diuretics that may be described. Diuretics may also be prescribed to help control blood pressure. Caffeine is another type of diuretic.

How do diuretics affect incontinence? It’s simple- diuretics force your kidneys to produce more urine, and this increased urine production may lead to new incontinence or worsening of incontinence symptoms, especially in older people.

If you are taking a diuretic and find that you are experiencing incontinence, talk to your doctor. Your physician may be able to prescribe a diuretic that is less likely to cause incontinence. You should not quit taking your diuretic, as this may make the problem you were taking the diuretic for worse; instead, make an appointment with your doctor. Avoiding caffeine may also help you control your symptoms of incontinence.

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How to Create Your Bladder Diary

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

A bladder diary

A bladder diary is a record of your urine output and other useful information related to your voiding habits. Making a bladder diary prior to consultation will help your physician accurately diagnose your condition. Moreover, it provides detailed insight into the severity of your bladder weakness so that a suitable and effective plan of care can be easily developed.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has an excellent sample form of a bladder diary, which can be obtained online. This diary is an hourly record with two separate sheets for day and night. Each sheet contains six columns with the following headings: Time, Drinks (which is sub-divided into two columns: What kind? and How much?), Trips to the Bathroom (subdivided into two columns: How many times? and How much urine?), Accidental Leaks, Did you feel a strong urge to urinate?, and What were you doing at the time? You are also required to include the number of incontinence pads or pants you used for the day.

Here are some helpful tips for creating your own bladder diary:

•1. The longer you fill in your diary, the better-You need to fill in the diary for at least 3 days, but it is preferable if you fill it in for an entire week.

•2. You can estimate urine amounts as small, medium, or large- For more precise measurements, ask your physician for a graduated pan that fits under the rim of the toilet, making it easy to measure your urine.

•3. It is important to indicate when/how often you change your absorbent pad or pants, or your clothing.

•4. Don’t forget to describe your health and general well-being. For example, make note if you have pain, fever, or any other symptoms of illness- Remember that the more details you provide, the more accurate your diagnosis is likely to be.

•5. If you are a woman, never start your diary during your menstrual period, as you may change more frequently than you normally would.

A bladder diary can be a very useful tool in exploring the issue of incontinence, especially when done at a high level of compliance. The information obtained from your bladder diary can help your doctor determine the cause of your incontinence, as well as decide upon the most appropriate treatment for your condition.

If you would like more information about incontinence, feel free to download our free DryForLife Guide to Living With Incontinence.

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Problems Associated with Bladder Weakness

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Bladder weakness affects millions of people worldwide, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be an inevitability for anyone, Bno matter their age. It is a curable condition in many cases. Left untreated, bladder weakness can affect people in several ways, physically, socially, and emotionally.

Although the physical discomfort of bladder weakness is not to be downplayed, the social and emotional cost of incontinence is high. For those who suffer from incontinence, the fear of their secret being discovered in public can literally prevent sufferers from enjoying the social aspects of their lives. This can lead to depression and feelings of low self-esteem. Personal relationships may also suffer.

Symptoms of bladder weakness are usually easy to identify, and may include constant leakage of urine, leakage of urine during activities which exert pressure on the bladder, or an overwhelming urge to urinate followed by leakage of urine. Should any of these symptoms occur, a visit to the doctor is in order.

For more information regarding bladder weakness, or to read the full version of this article, please visit www.dryforlife.co.uk to view the full article, or feel free to download our DryForLife Guide to Living With Incontinence.

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Urinary Incontinence - Facts and Myths

Friday, May 29th, 2009

There are so many misconceptions regarding urinary incontinence. For instance, many people wrongly assume that incontinence is a normal and expected part of the aging process, and that bringing the problem to a doctor’s attention will likely bring embarrassment and not much else in the way of effective treatment. In fact, the sooner you inform your doctor about the problem, the sooner treatment can be instituted.

Many people are also unaware that simple lifestyle changes can often make a huge difference in incontinence symptoms, such as cutting down on caffeine and alcohol intake and decreasing fluid intake before bed. Losing weight and quitting smoking are two other lifestyle changes that can also improve incontinence.

Another common misperception is that it is only women who are affected by urinary incontinence. Although women are about twice as likely as men to be affected, there are millions of men worldwide who suffer from incontinence. Although the underlying causes of incontinence are sometimes different between women and men, the social and emotional effects are similar.

To view the full article regarding myths and facts about urinary incontinence, visit www.dryforlife.co.uk or download the free DryForLife Guide to Living With Incontinence.

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Physiology of Urinary Incontinence

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Definition:

Urinary Incontinence -  the involuntary and unplanned leakage of urine due to loss of bladder control.

Physiologic Anatomy:

The urinary bladder is a smooth muscled organ composed of two parts:  (a) the body - the major part of the bladder where the urine collects, and (b) the neck - which is a funnel-shaped extension of the body, passing inferiorly to the urethra.

The smooth muscle of the bladder is known as the detrusor muscle.  Its muscle fibers extend in all directions and, when contracted, it can increase the pressure in the bladder to sometimes as high as 40-60 mmHg.

On the posterior wall of the bladder, immediately above the bladder neck, two ureters enter the bladder.  Where each ureter enters the bladder, it courses obliquely through the detrusor muscle and then pass underneath the bladder mucosa before emptying into the bladder.

Another name for the bladder neck muscle is internal sphincter.  Its natural tone keeps the bladder neck and posterior urethra empty of urine and therefore prevents emptying of the bladder until the pressure in the body of the bladder rises above a critical threshold.

Beyond the posterior urethra, the urethra passes through the urogenital diaphragm, which contains a layer of muscle called the external sphincter of the bladder.  This muscle is a voluntary skeletal muscle,  in contrast to the muscle of the bladder body and bladder neck, which is entirely smooth muscle.  This external muscle is under voluntary control of the nervous system and can be used to prevent urination,  even when the involuntary controls are attempting to empty the bladder.

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Hello and Welcome to the DryForLife
Incontinence Resource

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Your day to day guide to living and coping with incontinence.

If you are reading this post, chances are that you are one of the estimated 6 million people in the UK who suffer from incontinence, or perhaps you are searching for help on behalf of a loved one. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Incontinence is an embarrassing problem that we often keep to ourselves, believing that no one else knows how it feels to suffer from the loss of bladder or bowel control. For some people, this can lead to avoidance of social activities that were once enjoyed; for others, to depression and isolation.

At DryForLife, we understand the importance of discretion. We also understand this condition and how important it is to feel in control of this aspect of your life. Our objective is to provide our clients with quality products, information and solutions to help you cope with incontinence.

Join us as we explore this condition,  striving to keep you up-to-date on the latest information and breakthroughs,  as well as providing you with good, basic information.  For more information, you can email or call our Discreet Advice Helpline or Freephone 0800 180 4325 to find out more about incontinence products available to help you cope on a day-to-day basis.

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