The Facts on Bladder Control
The Facts on Bladder Control – Lack of bladder control, also known as urinary incontinence, can be caused by a number of elements. Watch this video to get the facts on bladder control.
Expert: Lauri Romanzi, M.D. Urogynecologist; author of “Plumbing & Renovations” »
Transcript
Since urinary incontinence affects 13 million American adults, it’s important to clarify exactly what it is and what you can do to fix it.
A normal bladder holds urine without contracting and the sphincter around the urethra prevents the constant flow of urine out of the bladder. The relaxed bladder and the tight sphincter keeps the urine inside the body until a person needs to urinate, at which time the bladder contracts while the sphincter relaxes. It doesn’t work this way for someone with urinary incontinence.
There are two common types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
STRESS incontinence is what happens when the urethral sphincter is weak, so that physical exertion forces urine out of the bladder, resulting in a state of ‘exert and squirt’ with activities like coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting, pushing and pulling. Stress incontinence is more common in women, age, childbirth, pelvic support and Kegel fitness can all affect the integrity of the urethral sphincter.
As if a weak urethra isn’t enough trouble, the bladder above the urethra can also misbehave, contracting when it shouldn’t, resulting in an overactive bladder and URGE incontinence. Since adults with urge incontinence may not be able to make it to the toilet in time, it’s essentially ‘wetting your pants.’
Overactive bladder incontinence is the result of involuntary spasms in the bladder, most of which is idiopathic, meaning that we don’t know exactly what causes the condition. 1/3 of women with urinary incontinence suffer a combination of both stress and urge incontinence.
It’s not surprising that both stress and urge incontinence can take a huge emotional toll on sufferers! Studies show that women with incontinence have lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression, and reduced libidos. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Both stress and urge incontinence may improve with Kegel exercises or pelvic floor electrical stimulation. Stress incontinence can also be treated with a minimally invasive sling procedure or injectable bulking agents placed into the urethral tissues.
Urge incontinence can further be treated with overactive bladder medications, bladder retraining drills, or a pacemaker type device called Interstim. With so many treatment options, no one should suffer from urinary incontinence. If you have trouble controlling your bladder, talk to your doctor!
Last Modified: 2012-11-17 | Tags »
Category: Health and Nutrition, Videos
