FRIDAY, February 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Almost every second woman over 50 deals with the indecency of urinary incontinence, but experts say nobody has to suffer in silence.
Most women, often seen as an inevitable problem of aging, don’t even try to seek treatment for the urinary leak that has occurred, said Dr. Christopher Hartman, chief urologist at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in New York City.
Why?
“Many women cite embarrassment as a reason for delay in finding care,” he said.
Before deciding to seek help, women need to determine what type of incontinence they have. Stress urinary incontinence is most commonly caused by laughing, coughing, sneezing, or exercising. Conversely, urge incontinence occurs when a person feels a strong need to urinate and cannot stop the sensation, Hartman explained. This is usually the result of a problem with the bladder itself or certain triggers, such as caffeine and spicy foods, that cause the bladder to contract.
A third type, mixed incontinence, is the combination of stress and urge incontinence. Less common is overflow incontinence, which is where a woman doesn’t empty her bladder completely, Hartman said.
Beyond the type of incontinence, the severity of the condition can vary widely, said Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, urology specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
“Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. There may be a few drops of leakage in a complete accident,” she said. “Over 25 million Americans admit having frequent problems controlling their bladder, which drives the $ 33 billion protective, drug and surgical industry.”
What can cause incontinence?
Stress incontinence is caused by weakness in the pelvic floor, Kavaler said. In women, stress incontinence has been linked to vaginal births, chronic constipation, obesity, and chronic lung disease. Stress incontinence can be observed in men after prostate cancer surgery.
Risk factors for emergency urinary incontinence include those over the age of 50, neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and stroke, and urinary tract infections, she said.
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