An Overview of Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the term used to describe a loss of bladder control. It might mean that a person leaks occasional urine, cannot control when they urinate, cannot make it to the restroom in time in order to urinate, or it could depict a host of other underlying health problems. This common bladder problem can be troublesome, stressful and sometimes, embarrassing for those who experience it. There are five types of urinary incontinence, including stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, functional incontinence and mixed incontinence. For women, incontinence may be a direct symptom of menopause whereas the lining of the vagina begins to thin and the pelvic muscles become weakened. For men, an enlarged prostate or prostatic surgery is a common cause. If a person is taking certain medications, has an infection or disease of any of the organs in the urinary tract, has high blood pressure, has experienced trauma relating to an accident or a sports injury, urinary incontinence can occur. For most forms of incontinence, treatment is available in the form of medication, biofeedback/psychotherapy, surgery and an array of other devices used to control the bladder.