(Leakage of urine)

“More Common Than You Think”

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary and unintentional leaking of urine. Urinary incontinence can also be an embarrassing problem. As with many potentially embarrassing or uncomfortable
symptoms, those affected may be hesitant to speak up or ask questions about their condition, even at the doctor’s office.

Who Suffers

Urinary incontinence occurs more often in women of almost all ages.

Risk Factors

Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause may contribute to urinary incontinence in women.
Nerve damage due to long standing Diabetes, spinal cord diseases.

Effects of Urinary leak in day to day life:

Bigsocial stigma associated with the disease

Types of Urinary incontinence (leak) in woman: 

• Stress incontinence – leakage during periods of abdominalpressure (coughing, sneezing, lifting, straining)
• Urge incontinence – leakage which followsan irresistible urge to pass urine
• Mixedincontinence – combined stress & urge incontinence
• Overflow incontinence – inability to empty the bladder withresulting overflowofurine

Howit can be diagnosed:

A Urologtst/Oyenecologtst would perform certain tests to confirm the diagnosis:

• Voidingdiary to see pattern ofurination like how freqeuently you use toilet and what volume ofurine is passed.
• Urinalysis and urine culture — Rule out urinary tract infection, urinary stones, or other contributing causes.
• Ultrasound – to check the kidneys, bladder and residual urine ..
• Uroflowmetry- Done on OPDbasis which reads the flow & the speed ofthe urine.
• Bladder stress test — You cough vigorously as the doctor checks for loss ofurine from the urinary opening.
• Urodynamics – Specialised tests needed in few of the complicated cases to measure pressure in the bladder during the flowofurine.
• Cystoscopy — The doctor inserts a telescope in the urinary passage to see inside the urinary bladder.

Diagnosis could be either of Stress incontinence, Urge incontinence, Mixedincontinence or overflowincontinence.

Treatment options:
1. Behavioral Remedies:

Bladder Retraining – Bladder is trained to pass urine at definite interval of time so that the holding capacity of the bladder is increased also known as timed voiding.Kegel exercises -patient is taught to strengthen the pelvic muscles that prevent leakage ofurine. Fluid. modification- In take of fluid in moderate amount and evening restriction offluid.

2. Medicines for Overactive Bladder

If you have an overactive bladder. your doctor may prescribe a medicine to block the nerve signals that cause frequent urination and urgency.

3. Surgery’ for Stress Incontinence

Minimally invasive surgery in form of Tape and sling surgeries are done in which no cuts to the body are made. This requires stay of only a day and are done regularly at Department ofUrology at Tata Main hospital.

 Points to remember

• Urinary incontinence is common in women.

• All types of urinary incontinence are treatable.

• Incontinence is treatable at all ages.

• You need not be embarrassed by incontinence.

Department of Urology,EZUSI