If coughing, laughing, sneezing, or other movements that put pressure on the
bladder cause you to leak urine, you may have stress incontinence. Physical
changes resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause often cause stress
incontinence. This type of incontinence is common in women and, in many cases,
can be treated.
Childbirth and other events can injure the scaffolding that helps support the
bladder in women. Pelvic floor muscles, the vagina, and ligaments support your
bladder (see figure 2). If these structures weaken, your bladder can move
downward, pushing slightly out of the bottom of the pelvis toward the vagina.
This prevents muscles that ordinarily force the urethra shut from squeezing as
tightly as they should. As a result, urine can leak into the urethra during
moments of physical stress. Stress incontinence also occurs if the squeezing
muscles weaken.
Figure 2. Side view of female pelvic muscles.
Stress incontinence can worsen during the week before your menstrual period.
At that time, lowered estrogen levels might lead to lower muscular pressure
around the urethra, increasing chances of leakage. The incidence of stress
incontinence increases following menopause.
Urge Incontinence
If you lose urine for no apparent reason after suddenly feeling the need or
urge to urinate, you may have urge incontinence. A common cause of urge
incontinence is inappropriate bladder contractions. Abnormal nerve signals might
be the cause of these bladder spasms.
Urge incontinence can mean that your bladder empties during sleep, after
drinking a small amount of water, or when you touch water or hear it running (as
when washing dishes or hearing someone else taking a shower). Certain fluids and
medications such as diuretics or emotional states such as anxiety can worsen
this condition. Some medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism and
uncontrolled diabetes, can also lead to or worsen urge incontinence.
Involuntary actions of bladder muscles can occur because of damage to the
nerves of the bladder, to the nervous system (spinal cord and brain), or to the
muscles themselves. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's
disease, stroke, and injury-including injury that occurs during surgery-all can
harm bladder nerves or muscles.
Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder occurs when abnormal nerves send signals to the bladder at
the wrong time, causing its muscles to squeeze without warning. Voiding up to
seven times a day is normal for many women, but women with overactive bladder
may find that they must urinate even more frequently.
Specifically, the symptoms of overactive bladder include
urinary frequency -- bothersome urination eight or more times a day or two or
more times at night
urinary urgency -- the sudden, strong need to urinate
immediately
urge incontinence -- leakage or gushing of urine that follows a sudden,
strong urge
nocturia -- awaking at night to urinate
Functional Incontinence
People with medical problems that interfere with thinking, moving, or
communicating may have trouble reaching a toilet. A person with Alzheimer's
disease, for example, may not think well enough to plan a timely trip to a
restroom. A person in a wheelchair may have a hard time getting to a toilet in
time. Functional incontinence is the result of these physical and medical
conditions. Conditions such as arthritis often develop with age and account for
some of the incontinence of elderly women in nursing homes.
Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence happens when the bladder doesn't empty properly,
causing it to spill over. Your doctor can check for this problem. Weak bladder
muscles or a blocked urethra can cause this type of incontinence. Nerve damage
from diabetes or other diseases can lead to weak bladder muscles; tumors and
urinary stones can block the urethra. Overflow incontinence is rare in women.
Other Types of Incontinence
Stress and urge incontinence often occur together in women. Combinations of
incontinence-and this combination in particular-are sometimes referred to as
mixed incontinence. Most women don't have pure stress or urge incontinence, and
many studies show that mixed incontinence is the most common type of urine loss
in women.
Transient incontinence is a temporary version of incontinence. Medications,
urinary tract infections, mental impairment, and restricted mobility can all
trigger transient incontinence. Severe constipation can cause transient
incontinence when the impacted stool pushes against the urinary tract and
obstructs outflow. A cold can trigger incontinence, which resolves once the
coughing spells cease.
The Types of Urinary Incontinence
The Types of Urinary Incontinence
Stress
Leakage of small amounts of urine during physical movement
(coughing, sneezing, exercising).
Urge
Leakage of large amounts of urine at unexpected times, including
during sleep.
Overactive bladder
Urinary frequency and urgency, with or without urge incontinence.
Functional
Untimely urination because of physical disability, external
obstacles, or problems in thinking or communicating that prevent a
person from reaching a toilet.
Overflow
Unexpected leakage of small amounts of urine because of a full
bladder.
Mixed
Usually the occurrence of stress and urge incontinence together.
Transient
Leakage that occurs temporarily because of a situation that will pass
(infection, taking a new medication, colds with coughing).
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and/or urethra. Not
everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to
urinate and a painful, burning when urinating.
A pinched nerve can be caused of a variety of conditions, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, herniated disc, sciatica, arthritis, spinal stenosis, trauma, and more. Common symptoms of a pinched nerve include pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. Treatment of a pinched nerve depends on the cause of the pinched nerve.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
There are many symptoms involved in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. The first early pregnancy symptom is typically a missed period, but others include breast swelling and tenderness, nausea and sometimes vomiting, fatigue and bloating. Second trimester symptoms include backache, weight gain, itching, and possible stretch marks. Third trimester symptoms are additional weight gain, heartburn, hemorrhoids, swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face, breast tenderness, and trouble sleeping. Read more to learn about recommended procedures and tests for each stage of a healthy pregnancy.
Hypothyroidism is any state in which thyroid hormone production is below normal. Normally, the
rate of thyroid hormone production is controlled by the brain at the pituitary.
Hypothyroidism is a very common condition and the symptoms of hypothyroidism are
often subtle.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
A stroke results from impaired oxygen delivery to brain cells via the bloodstream. A stroke is also referred to as a CVA, or cerebrovascular incident. Symptoms of stroke include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance, and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease which progressively injures the nerves of the brain and spinal cord, reflected by alterations of virtually every sensory or motor function in the body. The cause of MS is primarily unknown. There are different types of MS including relapsing-remitting MS, primary-progressive MS, and secondary-progressive MS. Symptoms of MS rang from mild to severe and examples include visual disturbances, muscle weakness, spasm, and fatigue. Decreased concentration, memory loss, and impaired judgment. Treatment for MS is generally with medications.
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop, also called the “change of life." Menopause symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, irregular vaginal bleeding, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, weight gain, and emotional symptoms such as mood swings. Treatment of menopausal symptoms varies, and should be discussed with your physician.
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. There are over 100 types of
arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout,
and pseudogout.
Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive neurologic disease characterized by a fixed inexpressive face, a tremor at rest, slowing of voluntary movements, a gait with short accelerating steps, peculiar posture and muscle weakness, caused by degeneration of an area of the brain called the basal ganglia, and by low production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Most patients are over 50, but at least 10 percent are under 40.
Overactive bladder is a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency (an immediate unstoppable need to urinate). Overactive bladder is is a form of urinary incontinence. Treatment options may include Kegel exercises, biofeedback, vaginal weight training, pelvic floor electrical stimulation, behavioral therapy, and medications.
Huntington's disease is the result of degeneration of neurons in areas of the brain. Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder. Early symptoms include mood swings, apathy, depression, and anger uncharacteristic of the individual. Judgement, memory, and other cognitive functions may become impaired. Presymptomatic testing is available for individuals who have a family history of Huntington's disease. Treatment includes medication and therapy for symptoms.
Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been
considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.
That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and
build.
A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep can hurt memory performance, health, and your mood.
Diabetic Neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that causes damage to the nerves; this is related to the blood glucose of the body being too high for a long period of time. The four types of neuropathy include peripheral, autonomic, proximal and focal.
There are many types of urinary incontinence (UI), which is the accidental leakage of urine. These types include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and overflow incontinence. Urinary incontinence in men may be caused by prostate or nerve problems. Treatment depends upon the type and severity of the UI and the patient's lifestyle.
Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency condition that is caused by the uncommon compression of the nerves at the end of the spinal cord. Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome include lower back pain, tingling and/or numbness in the buttocks and lower extremities, bowel or bladder incontinence, and weakness in the legs. Causes of cauda equina syndrome include herniated discs, hematomas, or infection. Treatment is generally prompt surgery.
Enjoying a satisfying sex life as we age is important to both physical and mental health. As we age, diseases and conditions may pose challenges in our sexual health, and sexual experiences. Learn how to manage your conditions and still have a gratifying sex life as you age.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
People who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or "detrusor contraction," occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
Urinary incontinence in children (enuresis) is twice as common in boys as in girls and may occur during the daytime or nighttime. Nighttime urinary incontinence is also called bedwetting and sleepwetting. The cause of nighttime incontinence in children is unknown. Daytime incontinence in children may be caused by an overactive bladder. Though many children overcome urinary incontinence naturally, it may be necessary to treat incontinence with medications, bladder training and moisture alarms, which wake the child when he or she begins to urinate.
A cystocele is also known as a fallen or prolapsed bladder. Heavy lifting and straining may cause a cystocele, which causes urine leakage and incomplete emptying of the bladder. Mild cystoceles may require no treatment, while large cystoceles may require surgery.
A nerve problem might affect your bladder control if the nerves that are supposed to carry messages between the brain and the bladder do not work properly. Such problems include urine retention, poor control of sphincter muscles, and overactive bladder. Treatment depends upon the cause of the nerve damage and resulting type of bladder control problem.
Caring for a loved one or patient with Alzheimer's can become a difficult and overwhelming task at times. This guide helps caregivers of individual's with Alzheimer's deal with communicating, bathing, and dressing; as well as problem solving with incontinence, sleeping, wandering; and coping with difficulties Alzheimer's patients present.
Neuromyelitis optica (Devic's syndrome) is a disease of the CNS that affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. People with neuromyelitis optica develop optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. There is no cure for neuromyelitis optica; however, there are therapies to treat attacks when they occur.
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