Urinary Incontinence / Stress Urinary Leak

Urinary incontinence could be defined as the inability to control the passage of urine from the bladder. Urinary incontinence is a common problem in both men and women. The complexity of this condition could range from occasional leakage of urine while coughing or sneezing to having constant and sudden urge to urinate.

If urinary incontinence severely affects your daily activities, please consult your doctor immediately. Most often, certain simple lifestyle changes or medical treatment can relieve the discomfort or prevent urinary incontinence.

Causes of temporary urinary incontinence

Consumption of alcohol which is a bladder stimulant and a diuretic
Overhydration
Consumption of caffeine which is a diuretic and a bladder stimulant
Consumption of carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, citrus fruits and tomatoes, corn syrup, and foods and beverages that contain high amounts of spice, sugar and acid
Heart medications, blood pressure drugs, sedatives, muscle relaxants and certain other medications
Urinary tract infection
Constipation

Causes of persistent urinary incontinence

Pregnancy and childbirth
Changes brought about by aging
Production of less estrogen after menopause
Hysterectomy or removal of the uterus
Painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis
Prostatitis or inflammation of the prostate gland
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or enlargement of the prostate gland
Prostate cancer
Bladder cancer or bladder stones
Neurological disorders such as Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, a brain tumor or a spinal injury
Obstruction or a tumor along your urinary tract
Risk factors
Women are more vulnerable to stress incontinence than men
Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and normal female anatomy
Men suffering from prostate gland problems
Aging
Being obese or overweight
kidney disease or diabetes

Tests & Diagnosis

Some of the common tests and procedures performed for diagnosis of urinary incontinence include:

Keeping a bladder diary to record the amount of fluids that you consume, when you urinate, the amount of urine that is produced, frequency of urination and the number of incontinence episodes.
Urinalysis
Blood test

Specialized testing

Additional tests often include:

Postvoid residual (PVR) measurement
Pelvic ultrasound
Stress test
Urodynamic testing
Cystogram
Cystoscopy

Treatment for urinary incontinence

The treatment for urinary incontinence generally depends on the type of incontinence, the complexity of your problem and the specific cause.

Behavioral techniques

The doctor may recommend certain behavioral techniques and lifestyle changes for the treatment of certain types of urinary incontinence. This may include bladder training alone or in combination with other therapies, scheduled toilet trips or timed urination, fluid and diet management, weight loss or increased physical activity.

Physical therapy generally involves pelvic floor muscle exercises to strengthen your urinary sphincter and pelvic floor muscles and electrical stimulation. Often, various medications such as Anticholinergics, Topical estrogen. Imipramine and Duloxetine are used in combination with behavioral techniques.

Medical devices

Different kinds of medical devices are also available today to help treat incontinence including Urethral insert and Pessary.

Interventional therapies include bulking material injections, Botulinum toxin type A and Nerve stimulators that could help to control bladder function.

Surgery

If all the other conventional treatments have failed, surgical procedures are employed to treat urinary incontinence. This includes sling procedures. bladder neck suspension and artificial urinary sphincter.

Prevention

Here are some of the steps that you can follow to reduce your risk of incontinence: