Urinary Incontinence FAQs

• What is Urinary Incontinence?
• Types of Urinary Incontinence
• Incidence and Prevalence
• Treatment Options
• Management of Urinary Incontinence

What is Urinary Incontinence?

Bladder control relies on a combination of the muscle tissue of the urethra and bladder and the nervous system. Normally, a human bladder stores urine until you’re ready to void your bladder.

When you have urinary incontinence, also known as bladder incontinence, the bladder can’t store urine as easily. This can result in light urine leakage or dribbling or more severe and consistent urination.

What Causes Urinary Incontinence?

A host of issues may directly cause or play a part in causing fecal incontinence and/or urinary incontinence. While sometimes it’s related to nerve damage, other times it may be due to weakened pelvic floor muscles. Injuries, such as spinal cord injuries, may affect control over both your bladder and bowels.

Other potential causes may include:

• Childbirth or pregnancy
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Spina bifida
• ALS
• Side effects from radiation or other cancer treatments
• Multiple Sclerosis

Urinary incontinence can also result from issues with the anatomy (such as bladder prolapse), developmental disabilities, and special needs situations such as autism and Down’s syndrome. Additional conditions that can sometimes cause temporary or chronic urinary incontinence include but are not limited to childbirth and pregnancy, menopause, birth defects, pelvic floor weakness, brain injury or stroke, spinal cord injury, and nerve disorders.

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What Are the Different Types of Urinary Incontinence?

Of the several types of urinary incontinence, stress, urge, and mixed incontinence account for more than 90% of urinary incontinence cases.

Urge Incontinence

Urge incontinence may be one of the most common types of incontinence. This type of incontinence occurs when the urge to urinate leads to sudden, involuntary urine leakage.

Stress Incontinence

Sudden physical exertion can lead to what is known as stress incontinence. Activities such as laughing, sneezing, coughing, physical activity such as heavy lifting, or making a quick change in position may sometimes put a strain or stress on one’s bladder. This leads to urine leakage, which can range from mild to severe.

Overflow Incontinence

Overflow incontinence is when the individual has the urge to urinate but can only release urine in small episodic amounts at a time.

This type of incontinence is usually caused by nerve damage, an enlarged prostate gland, a narrowing urethra, or weakening bladder muscles. Also, it may occur due to urethral obstructions, which can sometimes lead to urine build-up within the bladder and eventual slow leakage.

Post-Micturition Dribble

Post-micturition dribble, which is also known as PMD, is the involuntary loss of urine immediately after passing urine normally.

Post-micturition dribble may occur due to weakened pelvic floor muscles, which surround the urethra and bladder.

Pelvic floor muscles may naturally weaken with age. However, other reasons for the weakening of the pelvic floor could be due to issues such as being overweight, having neurological damage, constipation, etc.

Functional Incontinence

Functional urinary incontinence occurs when the individual is aware they need to urinate but are physically or mentally unable to reach the bathroom in time. This may occur when an individual has a condition such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or impaired mobility or eyesight.

Because of the nature of this type of incontinence, it is most common in the elderly and those with disabilities.

Mixed Urinary Incontinence

This is a mix of different types of incontinence. For example, an individual could have a combination of symptoms related to both stress and urge incontinence. This might lead to a diagnosis of mixed incontinence, which can affect up to 30% of men with urinary incontinence symptoms.

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How Common Is Urinary Incontinence?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 1996, approximately 13 million people in the United States had urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is more prevalent in women than in men. In the general population aged 15 to 64, 10-30% of women versus 1.5-5% of men are affected by urinary incontinence.

Additionally, at least 50% of nursing home residents are affected. Of that number, 70% are women.

Why do women seem to get urinary incontinence more commonly than men? It seems related to the difference between the male and female anatomy. Childbirth and pregnancy seem to affect the incidence of incontinence in women. According to one study, women who have had two or more vaginal deliveries are at higher risk of urinary incontinence.

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How is Incontinence Treated?

Treatment options for urinary incontinence depend on the type of incontinence as outlined below.

Multiple treatment options exist for the various types of incontinence, including urge urinary incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, and overflow urinary incontinence.

For example, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Surgical treatment
• Prescription medication
• Injectables like  Botox
• Self-catheterization with intermittent catheter products
• Medical devices like a pessary or urethral insert
• Incontinence supplies such as bladder control pads or adult diapers

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Are There Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Incontinence Symptoms?

First, your doctor is the best source of medical advice. They may suggest options such as prescription medication, surgery, incontinence supplies, intermittent catheterization, or another treatment.

However, you do not need to worry. You may find that a few lifestyle changes may help reduce the incidence of urinary incontinence.

For example, your doctor may suggest avoiding substances, foods, and drinks that can irritate the bladder. Diuretics and bladder irritants include nicotine (tobacco), alcohol, and caffeine.

Your healthcare provider may also advise you to:

• Avoid consumption of diuretics
• Perform Kegel exercises daily
• Eat a fiber-rich diet to avoid constipation
• Retrain the bladder on a prescribed schedule
• Stop smoking, vaping, or dipping

Management of Urinary Incontinence

In conclusion, your doctor is the best source of advice, diagnosis, and treatment options.

When it comes to finding a way to manage your incontinence issues, you have options. As technology continues to advance, more incontinence products become more discreet, convenient, comfortable, and even leak-proof.

In other words, you may find a product or a combination of incontinence products that will give you back a sense of independence and freedom again.

Some incontinence supply options include:

• Underpads to protect mattresses, chairs, and other surfaces
• Protective disposable underwear
• Disposable diapers or adult incontinence briefs
• Highly absorbent undergarments
• Male guards and liners
• Female bladder control pads
• Male and female catheter products
• Booster pads or inserts

If you’re insured through a Florida Medicaid or Georgia Medicaid waiver program, reach out to 180 Medical. Our knowledgeable Incontinence Specialists to custom-tailor an incontinence supply order that’s perfect for your needs.

Additional Urinary Incontinence Resources

The National Association for Continence

The National Association for Continence provides support and educational resources. These resources are available to individuals with incontinence, healthcare professionals, and caregivers. Find tools, support options, ways to connect with others, and more.

Bladder and Bowel Continence Diaries

You can download the helpful resources below courtesy of The National Association for Continence. These diaries can help you keep track of your bathroom habits, including incontinence or nighttime bedwetting. They’re a great way to monitor if anything might trigger your incontinence.

You can also share this information with your doctor so they can better understand your condition and personalize a treatment plan that works best for you.
insert_drive_fileBladder Diary
insert_drive_fileBowel Diary
insert_drive_fileBedwetting Diary
insert_drive_fileNocturia Symptom Tracker