Incontinence is not a disease or condition, but it is a symptom of a disease or condition. Women and men of all ages can encounter bladder leakage, but this is more present in men in the mid and later years of their life. Bladder leakage is a cause of a lot of embarrassment for a lot of people and is a more common problem then moat people believe. This can also be a symptom of an underlying problem. The best way to deal with this is by sharing this problem with your doctor. This way they can determine the underlying cause and start the necessary treatment.
Causes-
Any change or disruption in any system involved in bladder control will cause you to have bladder leakage. If you have weak pelvic muscles this can be one of the primary causes of bladder leakage. Pregnancy and childbirth do put a lot of stress on the pelvic floor but not all pelvic muscle weakness is caused by these conditions. Doing Kegel exercises will work to re-strengthen the pelvic muscles which will in turn give you better bladder control. If you experience nerve damage cause by disease or trauma this can change the way the brain and bladder signal each other. The damage can be so bad that this signal can stop all together. Some diseases and afflictions that can cause enough nerve damage leading to bladder loss include Parkinson's, Diabetes mellitus, stroke, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. The trauma that causes such nerve damage may be from pelvic or back injury, pelvic or back surgery and radiation therapy.
There are some medication that can also affect the nerve signals that go to your brain and bladder. These kinds of medications can weaken the signal which causes the bladder leakage problems. Medications can also interfere with the proper function of the muscles involved in bladder control. If you consume alcohol this can also affect the nerve signals, causing leakage. Water pills and caffeine will cause the body to produce urine faster than normal which will result in the bladder becoming full faster. If you get a urinary tract infection this can lead to temporary bladder leakage. The process of aging can also affect the musculature involved in bladder control. This makes bladder leakage a problem for both men and women alike. Constipation can also cause a temporary incontinence because when the rectum is full of stool, it presses against the bladder and this can cause the nerves to be overactive.
Enlargement of the prostate gland in men can cause several problems with normal urination which can include this leakage. Bladder cancer or bladder stones can sometimes cause leakage along with other problems such as burning upon urination, urgency to void and sometimes blood in the urine. Women can experience bladder leakage after having a hysterectomy due to the possible muscle or nerve damage from the surgery. This is because the bladder and uterus are so close to each other. Women who have gone through menopause have a decrease in the production of estrogen which can contribute to bladder leakage. This hormone is involved in keeping the lining of the bladder and urethra healthy, so when this starts to decrease this will affect the ability of the muscles to work correctly.
Be sure that if you have a bladder leakage problem you first seek out the help of a physician. To save embarrassment, consider ordering Tena pads from a reputable source.
