subject: Incontinent – You Don't Have To Accept This As A part Of Growing Old [print this page] Incontinent You Don't Have To Accept This As A part Of Growing Old
We've all had accidents in our lives and that doesn't make us all incontinent but if it is becoming a pattern with you then there may be underlying conditions that manifest themselves as continence problems. If you are experiencing periodic involuntary leakage of urine, it might be a good idea to check in with your physician.
There are four main types of incontinence, stress, urge, overflow and functional. Each of these types can have different causes and that means different treatments so you can understand the importance of seeking medical help early.
Stress is caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles which support the bladder. When these muscles become torn, damaged or simply lose their tone they can expose the bladder to outside pressure or stresses like sneezing that can cause the bladder to contract and force urine out.
Overflow is a condition that exists when the bladder muscle becomes weak and cannot fully empty itself. As new urine is produced by the kidneys, it has nowhere to go and the bladder is forced to release more urine involuntarily.
If you experience a constant or sudden and intense urge to go, then you may have urge incontinence. This is caused by overactive bladder where the bladder spasms and forces urine out. There can be a number of things that cause this condition and medication is the typical treatment.
Lastly if you simply are not aware that you have to go because of a spinal cord injury where you have lost feeling or dementia where you no longer recognize the urge for what it is you have functional incontinence. This is probably the most difficult to treat and is one of the major reasons that people are admitted into nursing homes.
If you are incontinent it doesn't matter what type of incontinence that you may have, you really need to see a doctor to get a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
