Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : June 29, 2018 2:50 PM IST
Urine incontinence in women is very common even though we don't talk about it. It is defined as loss of bladder control which leads to leaking of urine at an inappropriate place or time. There could be various reasons for this but one should know that incontinence is not a disease but a condition which might be an outcome of a single or several physiological and psychological problems put together. We spoke to Dr Duru Shah, Director, Gynaecworld Center for Assisted Reproduction & Women's health to know more about incontinence and how to deal with it. Here are eight causes of urinary incontinence that you should know.
What causes incontinence?
It is defined as a general loss of pelvic muscle tone which usually happens as a woman ages. However, age is not just a reason for this as even young women might suffer from the same. Apart from age, the other reasons that can cause incontinence are nerve or muscle damage, injury to the pelvic or abdominal area, surgery in the pelvic region, childbirth (especially vaginal delivery), obesity, chronic coughing, constipation and even certain medications. These could be the reason for a weak pelvic floor muscle that could normally help in preventing a leak when the bladder is full till you reach a restroom. When the muscles in the pelvic area become weak they find it difficult to resist the flow and this result in leakage of urine or incontinence. Many women in their prime suffer from this condition. In fact, 90 per cent of women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence is in the prime of their lives. If the problem is left untreated it increases at menopause and peaks at an elderly age. Here are 11 symptoms that signal the onset of menopause.
Does every woman suffer from similar problem while dealing with incontinence or it varies with age and other physiological issues?
The problem of leakage remains the same if you are suffering from incontinence. However, they might suffer from a different form of incontinence. Incontinence is broadly categorised into three categories:
Urge incontinence: This is identified as loss of urine when there is a strong need to go to the restroom. Women who suffer from urge incontinence find it difficult to resist the pressure once they feel the urge. They start leaking on their way to the restroom at night or on hearing or touching running water.
Stress incontinence: This kind of incontinence is experienced during exercise or on sneezing, coughing or laughing. The pelvic muscles turn to be so loose that any kind of external pressure can make the woman leak. Here is everything you need to know about postpartum stress incontinence.
Overflow incontinence: Women suffering from this kind of incontinence have to deal with the feeling of unease as they are not able to empty the bladder completely and feel that small amounts of urine pass involuntarily throughout the day.
What are the ways in which incontinence can be dealt?
The treatment options range from strengthening pelvic floor muscles, behavioural therapies, treating urinary infection, hormonal therapy and surgery depending on the condition and prognosis of the incontinence. Other natural ways to deal with incontinence are:
If these simple lifestyle changes fail to provide you with relief or your condition goes to become severe a surgery like TVT (Tension-free vaginal tape) might be the next best option.
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