Healthy Living defines Urinary Incontinence

Some medical conditions may not be life threatening but can be a source of embarrassment and discomfort to the person living with it. Urinary incontinence is not discussed publicly very often; it is a condition that is more common in women even though some men experience it as well. This week’s Healthy Living seeks to find out more about this very frustrating condition.

Marleni Cuellar, Reporting

It’s not something you’d imagine adults have to deal with. The ability to control our urge to urine is something that we expect to leave behind in our childhood. However, people who suffer from urinary incontinence know otherwise. The unplanned release of urine may be result of many issues and affect either gender. Urologist, Dr Marco Rugama explains the most common types and causes.

Dr. Marcus Rugama Miranda, Urologist

Marcus Rugama Miranda

“The international continence society defines urinary incontinence like a complaint of involuntary loss of urine. Practically it can be divided in three types. Stress incontinence, urge incontinence and mixed incontinence—when we talk about stress incontinence. We can also say its an anatomical incontinence, this is the involuntary loss of urine by for example exertion, coughing sneezing, the woman notice that there is loss of urine without control. We can talk about urge incontinency is like the urgency that every woman feel when they want to go and sometimes she cannot hold it. And when we speak about mixed incontinence then we have both parameters sometimes there is urgency sometimes there is urgency and they loss the urine or is also associated with when you cough and sneeze maybe or do exercise.”

Stress incontinence is a result of the weakening of the sphincter muscle of the bladder while Urge incontinence, also known as overactive bladder, is due to an underlying cause which could be from urinary tract infections to neurological problems.

This loss of bladder control, then, can cause symptoms that range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. Obviously the latter would significantly affect an individual’s quality of life.

Dr. Marcus Rugama Miranda

“The problem finally is that urinary incontinence will be a health problem worldwide because it really affect the self esteem. It has a social impact for example nobody wants to be smelling of urine or everybody can notice if you can’t control it especially lady. This is a problem treated between gynecologist and urologist. If it’s just stress, if its urge or if it’s a mix.”

Urinary incontinence is most common in elderly women although younger women Men can suffer urinary incontinence as well.

Dr. Marcus Rugama Miranda

“Urinary incontinence is often most frequent – prevalent- in females and it will increase with age. If you read a lot of articles, the variety of prevalence can go from six percent to sixty percent but it will always be more frequent in female. in men it’s less frequent and when it appears in males it’s related to prostatic disorders  but not necessarily always, can be due to prostatic enlargement.”

Luckily, all types of incontinence can be treated. The type treatment is dependent on the cause.

Dr. Marcus Rugama Miranda

“If it’s a stress it has to be surgery, if it is urgency incontinence is with medication.”

Dr. Rugama advises that you mustn’t hesitate to see your doctor if you feel like you may have urinary incontinence. Your bladder problem can be treated and does not have to affect your day-to-day activities.