Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is another name for not being able to control when or where urination happens.

 Definition and symptoms 
Urinary incontinence can mean involuntary or accidental urination. It is a common condition (especially in people over 65) and has a big effect a person's life. Other problems may exist alongside urinary continence which affect the same body area when the problem is caused by or is causing something physical. It is an important problem in healthcare for older people because it is so common. 

Urinary incontinence UI (urinary tract infection) can can be a source of shame or stigmatization. This is when the urinary incontinence is caused by an UI or UTI from unsafe sex. This shame creates barriers to successful treatment and makes the problem worse. This is because some people may be too embarrassed to seek medical help for urinary incontinence.

 Cause and diagnosis 
Pelvic surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are major risk factors for urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence can be a symptom of another condition. It is common. Some people might not even tell their doctor about it. There are four main types of urinary incontinence:
 Urge incontinence due to an bladder problem
 Stress incontinence due to urethral sphincter muscle weakness
 Overflow incontinence due to either weak bladder or blockage of the urethra
 Mixed incontinence involving features of different other types

 Treatment and epidemiology 
Treatments for urinary incontinence include pelvic floor muscle training, bladder training, surgery, and electrical stimulation. Councelling therapy works better than medication for stress and urge incontinence. The benefit of medications is small and long term safety is unclear. Urinary incontinence is more common in older women.

Related pages
Nocturnal enuresis

References

 Other websites 
https://nafc.org/conditions-overview/

Category:Medical signs