It’s an embarrassing thing to talk about, but if you have occasional or ongoing trouble controlling your bladder, you’re not alone.
There are different types of incontinence, including:
- Stress incontinence: when pressure on the bladder — like from a sneeze, or laughing — makes you leak a little. This type is common in women, especially those who have had children.
- Urge incontinence: when spasms in the bladder create the urge to piddle.
- Overflow incontinence: when the bladder fills up without signaling a need to use the bathroom.
- Mixed incontinence: when a combination of factors are at play.
So what causes incontinence? Many different things can lead to problems with your piddler. The muscles and nerves that work your bladder can be affected by illness or infection, certain medications, surgery, childbirth or menopause (for women), prostate problems (for men).
The type of incontinence — and the cause — determine how the problem is treated. Medication, for example, could treat a urinary tract infection that is causing bladder leakage. Hormone replacement therapy could help a menopausal woman’s bladder stay elastic. There are medications specifically for incontinence, that relax bladder muscles or stop muscle spasms.
Lifestyle changes may be useful for treating some forms of incontinence, or may be suggested in combination with medications. Changing the timing of when you eat and drink or take certain medications may make a big difference. Making frequent trips to the bathroom may help, too — even if you don’t think you need to go!
Performing Kegel exercises may help, too. These exercises involve contracting, holding, and releasing the muscles that control urine flow. You may be able to train yourself to squeeze those muscles before coughing or sneezing to help curb stress incontinence.
There are surgical options for treating incontinence, too. The bladder could be enlarged, or a catheter can be implanted to help urine drain.
As embarrassing as it is, you do have options if incontinence is a problem.