Who is Affected By Incontinence?

Incontinence is a problem that affects over 25 million Americans. There are various types of incontinence and understanding which type you’re struggling with, can help you reduce how much you’re affected by incontinence. A lot of people are too embarrassed to seek help for incontinence, but this is not a rare issue and it’s treatable ,you don’t need to live with incontinence.

Who Struggles With the Different Types of Incontinence

• Overflow Incontinence: This is a serious type of incontinence because it occurs when there’s an obstruction in the urine flow. The bladder overflows due to the obstruction and you’ll leak a small amount of urine. This sometimes happens due to an enlarged prostate - the prostate may squeeze the urethra or the bladder valve may not open the way it should. You may feel that you have to urinate every few minutes - this is because the bladder isn’t emptying entirely when you urinate.

• Stress Incontinence: People who suffer from anxiety or stress often experience incontinence issues. Incontinence usually occurs when these types of people are coughing, sneezing, lifting, laughing, or exercising; sometimes it can even happen while you’re simply standing up.

• Urge Incontinence: Do you often feel an urgent need to urinate? If you have to get to the restroom immediately in order to keep yourself from “leaking,” you may be dealing with urge incontinence. The sensation of urgency can be painful and uncomfortable, and it may point to a urinary tract infection.

Note that a lot of people experience more than one kind of incontinence. For example, stress and urge incontinence are often experienced together.

Treatments for Incontinence

There are various treatments for incontinence, including:

• Behavioral therapy to address any activities or behaviors that can be changed to prevent future incontinence.

• Surgery for a variety of issues, including to lift the bladder, implant an artificial valve around the urethra, or to tighten the bladder valve.

• There are medications that people with incontinence can take to limit how much the muscles in the bladder contract, which helps with urgent incontinence and frequency of urination.