Living With Urinary Incontinence

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Urinary incontinence, also known as Urinary Incontinence, is defined as a condition wherein there is a non-voluntary loss of urine that is a hygienic or social problem.

One type of Urinary Incontinence results when the coordination between several physiological processes is disrupted. Nerves carry the sensory input volume from the bladder to the spinal cord, and then the nerves that control the sphincter and other necessary parts are adjusted. The brain stem allows urination to begin by coordinating the relaxation and contraction of the proper muscles. When you urinate normally, the muscles relax and contract in the proper order to allow urine to pass. If you have Urinary Incontinence, those muscles do not make the correct contractions or relaxation at the right time.

There are two main methods of treating Incontinence. The first group of treatments involve simply addressing the symptoms. For example, Urinary Incontinence pads can be sourced from most pharmacies in a range of sizes, and can either be fitted inside normal underwear, or placed on a chair or bed to help soak up leakages.

For sufferers of incontinence who are still fully mobile, specially designed incontinence underwear helps to prevent problems while on the go.

Urinary Incontinence can also occur as a reaction to stress. In this type, leakage is associated with pressure to the abdomen that is increased by climbing stairs, coughing, sneezing or laughing. The major cause is the lack of support from the pelvic floor, from its weakened muscles. In other cases, Urinary Incontinence may result from pelvic surgeries. In both cases, the function of the urethral sphincter is impaired, which results in a loss of urine at abdominal pressures lower than usual.

Mixed Urinary Incontinence is actually the existence at the same time of urge and stress incontinence. Mixed Urinary Incontinence is characterized by the loss of urine in an urgent manner as well as when you sneeze, cough or over-exert yourself, which causes an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This is the more common type of Urinary Incontinence that is found in women.

Urinary Incontinence patients sometimes have a continuous leakage of small volumes of urine. This can also be associated with a weak stream of urine when they use the bathroom. Other less common causes of Urinary Incontinence include pelvic fracture trauma, complications from procedures, or fistulas.