Incontinence: America's Silent Epidemic

Researchers have estimated that 1 in 20 Americans suffer from urinary incontinence, while 1 in 41 Americans suffer from fecal incontinence. This devastating problem can paralyze our lifestyles, leaving us embarrassed and alone. But there are several effective treatments. Most people who suffer from incontinence never tell their health care provider about the problem, and they continue to suffer needlessly. It is important to learn the facts about incontinence and then go to your doctor, prepared to ask for help.

Incontinence is defined as the accidental release of urine or feces. Fecal incontinence is a lack of bowel control, while urinary incontinence describes accidental urination. The most common symptom is an unsuspecting urge to use the bathroom that happens so quickly, you can't get there on time. Other symptoms include leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jump, or jog.

Urinary incontinence is often a short-term problem caused by an easily-treated urinary tract infection. Certain medications, bouts of constipation, and pregnancy can also lead to short-lived incontinence. Long-term incontinence is typically described in two different categories: urge incontinence and stress incontinence.

Urge incontinence is the inability to control the bladder and bowels. This form is seen most frequently in elderly people whose urinary tract muscles have weakened over time. Nerve damage, strokes, and Parkinson's disease are all possible causes of urge incontinence.

Stress incontinence describes the release of urine during activities that put stress on your bladder. Childbirth, weight gain, or other changes that stretch the pelvic floor muscles can leave to stress incontinence, which is most common in women.

When you first visit a doctor, you might be surprised at the variety of treatments your doctor can offer you. The first suggestion for women typically calls for lots of kegel exercises. You can practice these quick exercises anywhere, without anyone knowing. You simply squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, also called kegel muscles, as if you are cutting off the flow of urine. Hold and release. Over time, you should increase the length and intensity of each kegel squeeze.

Another option for women is a pessary device, which is placed inside the vagina to put pressure on the urethra to decrease stress incontinence. Medications are available to men and women, according to your particular symptoms and the severity of your problem. As a last resort, doctors may choose to do surgery to support or restore your bladder into its original place. Many women find that their bladders fall after childbirth, causing a lot of pain and incontinence over the next few years. Surgery can easily fix this in a short amount of time.

Though incontinence may leave you embarrassed and upset, there are some ways to keep living without letting the world know that your pants are constantly wet. First, you should invest in some high quality incontinence pads. These are different from even the thickest sanitary pads, made with special absorbent material that will keep you dry and odor-free for hours. Second, you should strive to eliminate caffeine, which can cause bladder spasms to aggravate your existing problem.

Next, try wearing dark-colored pants on days when you might end up stuck in a meeting or a conference room all day. This insures that any embarrassing accidents will remain unnoticed for the most part. Men can also invest in drip collectors, available at medical supply stores online. These drip collectors are similar to thick, absorbent gloves that can be worn over the penis. There are also inexpensive penile clamps that will restrict the flow of urine, without cutting off blood flow to the penis. Either of these options can made a marked difference in male urinary incontinence.

No matter how severe your problem may seem, don't be embarrassed to talk to your doctor. He or she is well-trained to offer available treatments to help you live a normal, healthy life.