What is incontinence?

Incontinence is defined as the involuntary passing of urine caused by impaired anatomical conditions or a functional impairment. Urinary incontinence significantly affects the patient's daily life, often having a profound impact on the quality of their life. Helmut Madersbacher, one of the founders of neurourology, remarked very aptly: "Incontinence does not kill a person, but it kills their life”

Are there different types/forms of incontinence?

The most common types of incontinence are categorised into stress, urgent and mixed. Stress incontinence is the most common, which is caused by intra abdominal pressure (stress) on the urethra, or in other words, too much pressure from the bladder that the regular resistance of the urethra can handle. Most often, this type of incontinence is caused by coughing, laughing, lifting weights, etc.The cause is most often in women after childbirth, or during menopause. Urgent incontinence is associated with a strong urge to urinate. The cause is usually so-called bladder hyperactivity, and while  secondary causes are not so common, they do tend to be all the more serious  tumor, bladder inflammation or cystolithiasis). Surgical treatment is suitable for stress incontinence, whereas pharmacological therapy is most often used for urgent incontinence, but only after any secondary causes have been excluded. A mixed therapy approach is also an option.

Who is most likely to suffer from incontinence?

Incontinence tends to affect women more often than men. Women are affected by stress incontinence 2 to 3 times more often than men, especially under the age of 60. The main risk factors for women are age, number of births and obesity.

Women often suffer from incontinence before and shortly after childbirth. Will the bladder function return to its original functional state by itself, or do we have to help it with exercise?

Yes, this a very normal occurrence, but there are things that you can do to help your body return back to normal.  Women should avoid strenuous physical activity and lifting heavy objects during the puerperium. You can start simple pelvic floor exercises on the 2nd day after an uncomplicated birth. The so-called Kegel exercises are suitable for strengthening the pelvic floor. This is a set of exercises created by California gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel for his patients with incontinence. The method uses a conscious contraction of the sphincters, which can stop the flow of urine.

 Women who have given birth often complain of small urine leaks during activities such as sneezing, laughing, jumping, or  running… will the body return back to normal, or will the condition keep getting progressively worse?

During pregnancy, incontinence occurs in 30-60% of women. After childbirth, it usually adjusts; strengthening the pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises can help to regenerate faster.

Is incontinence something every woman will have to deal with at some point in her life?

5-70% of women experience mild incontinence during their lifetime, severe incontinence occurs in 6-11% of women. The most risky factors include age, number of births, birth path and obesity. Other risk factors are menopause, smoking, chronic cough or constipation.

Is it true that the sooner you begin solving the issue, the better?

Anyone struggling with incontinence should seek the help and advise of a healthcare professional- no matter the severity of the issue.

Which specialist should you go see?

It’s probably most suitable to see a urologist, however I can’t not mention our partners in care- general practitioners, gynaecologists, neurologists, paediatricians and many other specialists.

There is definitely no reason to fear going to your doctor with incontinence. The doctor usually asks th a few questions, filling out a questionnaire, and then performs a physical examination including blood samples for laboratory analysis and usually also a cystoscopy.

What sort of solution does modern medicine offer for incontinence?

In the treatment of incontinence, it is essential to determine its type. Treatment options are conservative or minimally invasive surgery to address the cause of incontinence. Non-surgical therapy includes regimen measures, pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation, or pharmacotherapy. The treatment plan is always created with an individual approach.

Is there anything women can do to improve their condition? Dietary supplements, a healthy lifestyle, weight loss or pelvic floor exercises?

A healthy lifestyle, avoiding obesity and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles are all crucial in prevention.

The whole article can be found on: žena-in.cz.