Urinary Incontinence and Its Different Types
excessive urinationThe wear and tear of the different parts and organs of the human body may either come sooner or later in life, and just like anything that is constantly in use, the organs of the body also functionally, degenerate and sometimes are affected by diseases that greatly diminish their functionalities. The urinary tract, for example, is constantly used since the time a person was born, and for this reason, as a person grows old, the tissues of the urinary tract often manifest atrophy. Due to this atrophy, a person sometimes suffer from urinary incontinence.
There are many other causes of urinary incontinence. Women, for example, experience four types of urinary incontinence. They may experience urge incontinence, stress incontinence, overflow incontinence, and even functional incontinence. Since women usually give birth, their urethra sometimes loses the necessary support because the pelvic support that props up the urethra is usually damaged during childbirth. This loss of pelvic support causes stress incontinence, and this type of urinary incontinence is usually characterized by small leaks of urine when a woman engages in activities that involve increase abdominal pressure like those of lifting, sneezing, and even coughing. Urge urinary incontinence, on the other hand, is characterized by large amount of urine leak without much warning.
Urinary incontinence may be indicative of a serious health problem that may affect the quality of life of a person; hence, if you are experiencing any of the abovementioned types of incontinence, you should at least have yourself checked-up by your urologist. If you are a woman, you should at least have yourself checked-up by an expert in the urinary tract of female. Some urologists are also called urogynecologists, and if you prefer someone whose specialization focuses on urological problems for women, you should at least consult an urogynecologist.
How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?
A person who consults a general practitioner (GP) is usually examined by the GP, for even the general practitioners have basic knowledge of urology. Upon examination, the general practitioner would then refer the patient to a specialist. Some tests are often performed on the patient such as stress test, urinalysis, blood test, ultrasound, cystoscopy, and urodynamics. These tests are designed to figure out if the bladder of the patient is malfunctioning.
Treatment of Urinary incontinence
The treatment of urinary incontinence and excessive urination often entails a range of conservative treatments which include bladder retraining, pelvic floor therapy, and behavior management. It also involves a stepladder approach to the treatment. As tests are conducted, the urologist eliminates other possible causes of urinary incontinence, and gradually zeroes in on the real cause of the patient’s urinary incontinence. The correct diagnosis of the cause of urinary incontinence can be the gauging tool for the success and failure of the treatment.
Medications and Surgery for Urinary incontinence
There are many medications for treating incontinence, some of which are no longer recommended by urologists due to the number of side effects that they cause. Some of these medications, however, are usually recommended for patients with stress incontinence, while some others are recommended to those with urge incontinence. Surgery likewise is sometimes recommended to those with stress or overflow incontinence. Additionally, bladder suspension and slings tension-free vaginal tape are sometimes used to remedy urinary incontinence. Laser therapy likewise can also be performed to reinvigorate the linings of the urethra and prevent urinary incontinence.
