Most people complain about the involuntary leakage of urine. Especially, women in the age group of 35-50. The condition where urine passes out involuntarily is called urinary incontinence. It is caused due to the inability of the bladder to hold urine. Involuntary urine leakage is the main symptom of this condition.
There are different types of urinary incontinence, they are:
- Urge Incontinence
- Stress Incontinence
- Overflow Incontinence
- Mixed Incontinence
- Functional Incontinence
- Gross Total Incontinence
The risk factors for getting urinary incontinence are:
- Smoking habit
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Over usage of coffee or caffeine
The risk may even increase with the increasing age and according to the gender. As said earlier, women are more prone to get urinary incontinence. There are different factors which may predispose to urinary incontinence in an individual:
- Weak pelvic floor muscles due to pregnancy, delivery, hysterectomy, menopause, obesity, any surgery etc.
- CNS disorders like cystitis.
- Blockage or obstruction of the bladder.
- Effects of certain medication
- Alcohol intake
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Dehydration etc.
Treatment procedures may vary according to each individual and the type of incontinence. Some of the common treatment options may include:
- Lifestyle changes
- Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
- Medications
- Bladder training
- Botox therapy, radiofrequency therapy, and other interventional therapies
- Bulking agents injection
- Medical devices (for women)
- Surgery is considered to be the final option.