Urge incontinence occurs in both men and women. It is estimated that about 1 in 10 women over 65 experience urge incontinence, but younger women and men can also be affected. In women, urge incontinence sometimes coincides with stress incontinence, also known as mixed urinary incontinence. After stress incontinence, urge incontinence is the most common form of incontinence.
What causes urge incontinence
Urge incontinence can have several causes. Although age itself is not a cause of urge incontinence, it is more common in the elderly as well as in people with nerve disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or dementia. Other causes of urge incontinence include (benign) prostate enlargement and bladder stones, while obesity, stress and medication use can also contribute to the development of urge incontinence.
Urge incontinence is often accompanied by an irritable or overactive bladder. People with an overactive bladder have to urinate more frequently than usual. To prevent accidents, people with urge incontinence go to the toilet more often than necessary, making the bladder even weaker.
Symptoms of urge incontinence
Unnecessary bladder contractions make the bladder feel full even with just a small amount of urine in it. These contractions make the person feel a strong urge to urinate.
Due to the uncontrolled contractions of the bladder muscle, the bladder may be squeezed empty and cause involuntary urine loss.
The result is that people is an uncontrolled flow or leakage of urine.
Solutions for urge incontinence
The solutions for urge incontinence depends on the cause. A doctor or health care practitioner should always help diagnose the type and cause of the incontinence.
Bladder training, along with a urine diary, is often the first step. A doctor may also recommend making specific dietary changes. Bladder training can help reduce the symptoms of urge incontinence or even make them disappear altogether. When keeping a urine diary, a person records how often and how much they urinate.
Bladder training is often combined with pelvic floor exercises and medication.
If symptoms are not improved after 3 months of bladder training, a doctor or specialist may advise a surgical procedures or medications.
Tip 4: Sometimes people with urge incontinence decide to start drinking less, but staying hydrated is very important to keeping the bladder healthy. For an adult, drinking at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day is advised. Staying hydrated is necessary to remove waste products from the body, and by drinking less, there is a risk that the concentration of waste products in the urine becomes too high, resulting in concentrated urine, which can worsen the symptoms.
Incontinence products for urge incontinence
Incontinence products do no solve urge incontinence, but they can it make life easier. Reliable incontinence products can protect against accidents and unpleasant odors. They can also help prevent incontinence-related skin problems (IAD).
It is not just about what you drink. What you eat may affect your incontinence. Learn which foods to avoid and how they can affect your bladder and incontinence.
How to choose the right product
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right incontinence product for your individual needs.
