We’ve all seen the TV commercials for male and female incontinence. Incontinence can be an embarrassing and humiliating experience, as evidenced by rapper Slim Thug who wet himself while rushing to the restroom.
Urinary urgency is the urgent need to empty the bladder immediately. Wetting yourself before you can make it to the restroom is called incontinence.
When urinary urgency is associated with urinary frequency, you empty your bladder many times a day even if you have a small amount of urine in your bladder. Urinary urgency with frequency can be caused by diseases such as diabetes, stroke, nerve problems, kidney infections or urinary tract infections (UTI), etc.
Incontinence in men and women means unintentional and unstoppable loss of urine from the bladder. In some cases you don’t feel the urge to empty your bladder — it just empties itself. The causes of incontinence varies in men and women depending on the different anatomy.
For the purposes of this blog post I will focus on male incontinence.
According to the University of Chicago Urology Center, men are more likely than women to suffer from overflow incontinence. This is because the male prostate gland enlarges with age and may block the opening to the bladder, causing urine to back up and overflow.
Even though Slim Thug makes light of his incontinence problem with several posts on Twitter.com, men should see their personal physician or urologists immediately when they experience incontinence.
Types of Incontinence
Risk Factors for Male Incontinence Includes
Diagnosis
Male incontinence is diagnosed with a urinalysis and blood tests. Your doctor may ask you to keep a daily log of how much you drink, how many times a day you urinate, the volume of urine you produce, the color of the urine, and whether you felt an urge to urinate.
Your doctor might schedule an ultrasound to look for structural abnormalities such as an obstruction in your bladder or bowels or weakness in the bladder nerves or muscles.
A Cystoscopy of your bladder involves the doctor passing a tube with a small camera at the end into your urethra (penis) to look inside your bladder. A Cystogram is when a doctor orders an X-ray of your bladder. A catheter is inserted into your urethra (penis) and a dye is injected so obstructions or tumors show up clearly on the X-ray.
Treatment
Treatment for male incontinence varies based on the type of incontinence.
Medications are given to calm an overactive bladder; and antidepressants and antianxiety medications are prescribed for depression and stress.
Treatment can include physical therapy; behavioral techniques such as bladder training, scheduled toilet trips, and fluid and diet management. This includes avoiding alcohol, caffeine or acidic foods, and watching your fluid intake.
Surgery may be necessary to clear obstructions and remove tumors.
Adult diapers – absorbent pads and protective garments to control accidental leaking.
Self catheterization – your doctor may order small soft catheters for you to insert into your bladder several times a day to relieve your bladder and prevent accidental leaks.
This has been your Medical Minute.
Urinary incontinence Causes – Mayo Clinic
Male Incontinence – Male Incontinence
What Every Man Should Know | Incontinence – NAFC
Male Incontinence Overview: Classifying Incontinence in Men – WebMD
DISCLAIMER
Any medical information published on this blog is for your general information only and is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice. You should not take any action before consulting with your personal physician or a health care provider. Sandrarose.com and its affiliates cannot be held liable for any damages incurred by following advice found on this blog.
