Living With Incontinence

October 20, 2016

WHY INCONTINENCE SHOULDN'T BE ALL THAT EMBARRASSING A SUBJECT?

Incontinence is really surprisingly common. It is estimated that one in four of us will have an incontinence issue or a problem with bladder control at some point one in 10 will have problems. This means that more people have incontinence than asthma diabetes and epilepsy combined. Millions of Americans have some form of bladder control issue, so you are in good company, it is more common than you think!

So don't be embarrassed about having this problem, many people are struggling with the same issues. Try to look toward solutions, follow our blog for more on living with bladder control issues, and prevention methods and more. :)

*Please look over all of our blog posts for more information. 

INCONTINENCE MYTHS.

Incontinence is often seen as a problem that women face, but that’s not the case. Women are more likely to have to deal with incontinence (32% of the female population experience it, compared to 13% of men), but men are just as likely as women to develop an issue with incontinence.

It’s also a myth that incontinence only happens to older people. While it's more likely, though not inevitable, that you may lose some form of bladder control as you get older, anyone can develop symptoms, at any age. Click here for morehttps://www.nationalincontinence.com/s/IncontinenceMyths

WHAT IS STRESS INCONTINENCE?

This is when you leak urine after sneezing, laughing, coughing, lifting something or while doing exercise. It happens when the muscles around the bladder (the pelvic floor muscles) become slack. It’s common after childbirth, pelvic surgery and menopause. (see our previous blog post regarding “Kegel exercises” with instructions to help with these issues.

WHAT IS URGE INCONTINENCE?

Urge incontinence is when you have a sudden urge to go to the toilet and can't hold it in. It’s often the result of a condition called overactive bladder, where the bladder becomes "twitchy" and wants to squeeze out urine, even if it isn’t full or you’re not ready. http://patient.info/health/urge-incontinence

WHAT IS MIXED INCONTINENCE?

This type of incontinence is quite common and is a combination of stress and urge incontinence.

WHAT IS OVERFLOW INCONTINENCE?

This is typified by a constant dribble of urine, which you often don't notice. If you're aware of it, you'll feel the need to go to the toilet very frequently. Click here for more on “overflow incontinence”.

Go here for more https://www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org/bladder/bladder-conditions-and-symptoms/overflow-incontinence/

WHAT IS BOWEL (FECAL) INCONTINENCE?

Bowel incontinence is thought to affect one in 10 people at some point. It can be a bowel accident, when you don’t reach the toilet in time, or leaking from the bowel that you're unaware of. Bowel incontinence can be caused by neurological disorders, such as MS, a spinal injury or tearing after childbirth.

Go here for more information: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/fecal-incontinence/Pages/facts.aspx

ICS International Continence Society http://www.ics.org/ The International Continence Society is a registered charity with a global health focus which strives to improve the quality of life for people affected by urinary, bowel and pelvic floor disorders by advancing basic and clinical science through education, research, and advocacy. They post valuable information regarding incontinence on their site. Stay tuned for our special “Nutrition” blog post in this series, coming October 2016.

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