Your Incontinence Support Center
Incontinence is the loss of bladder or bowel control, which affects people of all ages and both genders. There are many forms and degrees of incontinence, from having a dribble to having total loss of control. It affects millions of people both in north america and worldwide. It's a distressing condition that leaves a lot of people isolated and that many consider as taboo.
There are many ways to manage incontinence. From medication, catheters or using adult size diapers (cloth and disposables). There are also books and companies (websites) that have great information on how to deal with, and manage, incontinence.
We want to educate about this common problem that reduces one's quality of life, and to fight the stigma associated to it by raising awareness. Here you will find information about the types of incontinence, its causes, many treatment options as well as some methods for coping with this problem.
Types of incontinence
Types of Incontinence and Their Specific Causes.
To help diagnose your incontinence, doctors may have to use some exams and medical tests to find out the root causes and measure the extent of it.
Most likely, your doctor will start with the basics: medical history and a physical examination. He will look for common causes of problems like urinary tract infections (UTI), stool impaction, poorly controlled diabetes, or if it could be a side effect of a medication you're taking. He may also decide to do some simple tests like:
Medical Treatments
We know that there are a lot of people that will only use diapers as a way of managing their incontinence, but there are other options out there. This section will describe some of the other ways to manage incontinence besides using diapers.
If you are having to deal with incontinence, the most important thing that you should be doing is seeing your doctor. Incontinence is only a symptom of something else that is wrong. There are many different reasons that you may have incontinence and it is important to find out WHY you are having it. It might be just an infection, weak muscles, or it could be a sign of something more serious like MS, diabetes, or even cancer.
That's why we say that you need to see your doctor to find out the cause of your incontinence. If for no other reason except to rule out the more serious causes.
When you see your doctor, they may prescribe some medication or some of the other treatments available.
Here are some of the other treatments that are available to help manage incontinence.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel, or pelvic floor muscle exercises are done to strengthen the muscles which support the urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum. Often the pelvic floor muscles are weak which contributes to problems with losing urine. Doing the exercises correctly and regularly can strengthen the muscles. Stronger muscles lead to little or no urine loss for many women. It is also risk-free, low cost and painless!
Diet
Dietary changes may help improve urinary or fecal incontinence. Eliminating alcohol, sweetener substitutes, and caffeine containing foods and drinks may be very helpful. Other foods that can effect the bladder and/or bowels include citrus drinks & fruits, Carbonated beverages (including sodas), Milk/milk products, Corn syrup, Highly spiced foods, tea, greasy foods, prune juice, eggs, Cabbage family vegetables (onions, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower), and others.
Artificial Urinary Sphincter
An artificial sphincter is an implantable device made of silicone rubber. The sphincter surrounds the bladder neck and compresses the urethra. It is activated by pressing a valve placed in soft tissues near the urethra. It is effective for a highly selected group of men with post-prostatectomy UI. An artificial urinary sphincter may be appropriate for clients with incontinence associated with spina bifida, myelomeningocele, spinal cord injury, pelvic trauma, postradical prostatectomy incontinence, and in female stress incontinence which has not been helped by other treatment modalities.
Injection therapy
Injecting material to increase the bulk around the urethra can improve the function of the urethral sphincter and compresses the urethra near the bladder outlet. Injectable materials include collagen (naturally occurring protein found in skin, bone, and connective tissue), fat from the patient's body (autologous fat), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)and Durasphere (synthetic compounds).
Medication
Depending on either the symptoms or the result of a diagnostic evaluation, urinary incontinence (UI) and overactive bladder (OAB) may be treated with medication. Some types of meds may include Ditropan, Detrol, Estrogens, Imipramine or Propantheline. As with all medications there may be some side effects so it is important to talk to your doctor if you are having any problems while taking any medications.
For those of you who like non invasive treatment alternatives here are three to consider.
These are primarily for stress related incontinence.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy has shown some good results with approximately 95% of those who use it. The treatment uses post hypnotic suggestions along with reinforcement visualizations. It is simple, painless & free of side effects. The client is taught basic induction methods for auto hypnosis with various testing methods to test trance levels. S/he is trained in several deep relaxation & pain relief techniques suitable to their needs. S/he is then taught methods & use of post hypnotic suggestions to reinforce & maintain the initial suggestions.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a way to help teach a person how to control the bladder and/or anal muscles. The technique involves the feedback of a variety of types of information not normally available to the person, followed by a concerted effort on the part of the person to use this feedback to help alter the physical process in some specific way. Biofeedback can help with urinary or fecal incontinence.
Biofeedback is a learning strategy that enables persons to alter their brain waves. The human brain is set up with the feedback information we need to regulate our systems, if we will pay attention to it. When information about a person's own brain wave characteristics is made available to him/her, he or she can learn to change them. You can think of it as exercise for the brain.
Here is a simple example of biofeedback; In cold weather, when you are shivering, imagine what it would feel like if the warmth of the sun were shining on your back, between your shoulder blades and your neck. Done correctly, you will immediately stop shivering, for as long as you imagine the warmth of the sun shining there. A bit more useful, if you are subject to anxiety attacks, imagine what it would feel like if you drew an ice cube from the center of your lower lip, down your neck to your chest and stomach. Suddenly your heart is not racing, and you have control over yourself, from moment to moment at least.
Thanks to the study of the mind-body connection over the last thirty years there are several forms to choose from including: EEG [Electroencephalogram], GSR [Galvanic Skin Resistance] & HRV [Heart Rate Variability].
Acupuncture
There has also been good success for many using acupuncture. Traditional Chinese medical theory holds that acupuncture works by redirecting qi "vital energy" in the body. Pain or illnesses are treated by attempting to remedy local or systemic accumulations or deficiencies of qi. Pain is considered to indicate blockage or stagnation of the flow of qi, and an axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain". Modern acupuncture uses one time use needles which are thinner than a human hair and are inserted just beneath the first outer skin layer.
Treatment of acupoints may be performed along the 12 main or 8 extra meridians located throughout the body. 10 of the main meridians are named after organs of the body (Heart, Liver etc.) two after so called body functions (Heart Protector or Pericardium, and San Jiao, "triple heater"). The two most important of the eight "extra" meridians are situated on the midline of the anterior and posterior of the trunk and head.
The acupuncturist will decide which points to treat by thoroughly questioning the patient, and utilizing the diagnostic skills of traditional Chinese medicine, such as observation of the left and right radial pulse.
Although accepted as a medical treatment in Asia for millennia, acupuncture's arrival in the West has sparked much controversy. Acupuncture has eluded scientific explanation to some degree. However, in 1997, the NIH issued a consensus statement on acupuncture that concluded that there is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value. The NIH statement noted that the data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies.
Of course each of these alternative treatments requires a trained and qualified professional to get you started.
There are many ways to manage incontinence. From medication, catheters or using adult size diapers (cloth and disposables). There are also books and companies (websites) that have great information on how to deal with, and manage, incontinence.
We want to educate about this common problem that reduces one's quality of life, and to fight the stigma associated to it by raising awareness. Here you will find information about the types of incontinence, its causes, many treatment options as well as some methods for coping with this problem.
Types of incontinence
Types of Incontinence and Their Specific Causes.
- Urge incontinence: Involuntary loss of urine associated with a sudden urge and desire to void. Associated with detrusor overactivity. Causes include neurologic disorders (such as stroke, multiple sclerosis), urinary tract infections, and cancer.
- Stress incontinence: Involuntary loss of urine during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or other increases in intra-abdominal pressure. Most commonly seen in women after middle age (especially with repeated pregnancies and vaginal deliveries), stress incontinence is often a result of weakness of the pelvic floor. Another cause is intrinsic urethral sphincter weakness.
- Overflow incontinence: Involuntary loss of urine associated with over distension of the bladder. May have frequent dribbling or present as urge or stress incontinence. May be attributable to underactive bladder, bladder outlet obstruction (such as tumor, prostatic hypertrophy), drugs (such as diuretics), fecal impaction, diabetic neuropathy, or vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Functional incontinence: Immobility, cognitive deficits, paraplegia, or poor bladder compliance.
- Enuresis: Involuntary loss of urine during sleep. Primary enuresis refers to inability to maintain urinary control from infancy. Secondary enuresis is a relapse after control has been achieved.
- Urine Retention: Urine retention occurs when a large amount of urine stays in the bladder after a person has urinated. This build-up of urine can put a person at increased risk for urinary tract infections and subsequent overflow incontinence.
- Bowel Incontinence: There are two main types of bowel incontinence:
- Passive fecal incontinence: related to a poorly functioning sphincter muscle. The person with passive fecal incontinence is unaware that stool is being passed.
- Urge incontinence: often caused by disease in the rectum. Urge incontinence results in involuntary passage of stool through normal sphincter muscles.
To help diagnose your incontinence, doctors may have to use some exams and medical tests to find out the root causes and measure the extent of it.
Most likely, your doctor will start with the basics: medical history and a physical examination. He will look for common causes of problems like urinary tract infections (UTI), stool impaction, poorly controlled diabetes, or if it could be a side effect of a medication you're taking. He may also decide to do some simple tests like:
- Urinalysis: analyzing a sample of urine taken mid-stream (microscopic and chemical exams done).
- Urine Culture: to check for infections.
- Voiding log or diary: a log you keep of all the liquids taken and urination (time, quantity, voluntary or not, etc).
- Bladder stress test and Bonney test (for women): to see how much urine is released when coughing.
- Pad test: a pad is weighed before and after urine release to measure quantity of urine released.
- Cystoscopy: visual examination of the urethra and bladder.
- Voiding cystourethrography: a special x-ray that shows the shape of the lower urinary tract.
- Uroflow: measures the pattern of urine flow.
- Post-residual volume (PVR): measures how much urine is left after urination.
- Urodynamics: It is the investigation of functional disorders of the lower urinary tract, i.e. the bladder and the urethra.
- Digital rectal exam: an examination of the lower rectum to check for hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and stool abnormalities.
- Anal manometry: measures tightness of the sphincter and rectum sensitivity.
- Anorectal ultrasonography: uses ultrasound imaging to view the sphincters.
- Proctography (defecography): an imaging study of rectal evacuation using fluoroscopy or MRI.
- Proctosigmoidoscopy: internal examination of the colon with a sigmoidoscope (camera).
- Anal electromyography: checks for nerve damage.
Medical Treatments
We know that there are a lot of people that will only use diapers as a way of managing their incontinence, but there are other options out there. This section will describe some of the other ways to manage incontinence besides using diapers.
If you are having to deal with incontinence, the most important thing that you should be doing is seeing your doctor. Incontinence is only a symptom of something else that is wrong. There are many different reasons that you may have incontinence and it is important to find out WHY you are having it. It might be just an infection, weak muscles, or it could be a sign of something more serious like MS, diabetes, or even cancer.
That's why we say that you need to see your doctor to find out the cause of your incontinence. If for no other reason except to rule out the more serious causes.
When you see your doctor, they may prescribe some medication or some of the other treatments available.
Here are some of the other treatments that are available to help manage incontinence.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel, or pelvic floor muscle exercises are done to strengthen the muscles which support the urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum. Often the pelvic floor muscles are weak which contributes to problems with losing urine. Doing the exercises correctly and regularly can strengthen the muscles. Stronger muscles lead to little or no urine loss for many women. It is also risk-free, low cost and painless!
Diet
Dietary changes may help improve urinary or fecal incontinence. Eliminating alcohol, sweetener substitutes, and caffeine containing foods and drinks may be very helpful. Other foods that can effect the bladder and/or bowels include citrus drinks & fruits, Carbonated beverages (including sodas), Milk/milk products, Corn syrup, Highly spiced foods, tea, greasy foods, prune juice, eggs, Cabbage family vegetables (onions, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower), and others.
Artificial Urinary Sphincter
An artificial sphincter is an implantable device made of silicone rubber. The sphincter surrounds the bladder neck and compresses the urethra. It is activated by pressing a valve placed in soft tissues near the urethra. It is effective for a highly selected group of men with post-prostatectomy UI. An artificial urinary sphincter may be appropriate for clients with incontinence associated with spina bifida, myelomeningocele, spinal cord injury, pelvic trauma, postradical prostatectomy incontinence, and in female stress incontinence which has not been helped by other treatment modalities.
Injection therapy
Injecting material to increase the bulk around the urethra can improve the function of the urethral sphincter and compresses the urethra near the bladder outlet. Injectable materials include collagen (naturally occurring protein found in skin, bone, and connective tissue), fat from the patient's body (autologous fat), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)and Durasphere (synthetic compounds).
Medication
Depending on either the symptoms or the result of a diagnostic evaluation, urinary incontinence (UI) and overactive bladder (OAB) may be treated with medication. Some types of meds may include Ditropan, Detrol, Estrogens, Imipramine or Propantheline. As with all medications there may be some side effects so it is important to talk to your doctor if you are having any problems while taking any medications.
For those of you who like non invasive treatment alternatives here are three to consider.
These are primarily for stress related incontinence.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy has shown some good results with approximately 95% of those who use it. The treatment uses post hypnotic suggestions along with reinforcement visualizations. It is simple, painless & free of side effects. The client is taught basic induction methods for auto hypnosis with various testing methods to test trance levels. S/he is trained in several deep relaxation & pain relief techniques suitable to their needs. S/he is then taught methods & use of post hypnotic suggestions to reinforce & maintain the initial suggestions.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a way to help teach a person how to control the bladder and/or anal muscles. The technique involves the feedback of a variety of types of information not normally available to the person, followed by a concerted effort on the part of the person to use this feedback to help alter the physical process in some specific way. Biofeedback can help with urinary or fecal incontinence.
Biofeedback is a learning strategy that enables persons to alter their brain waves. The human brain is set up with the feedback information we need to regulate our systems, if we will pay attention to it. When information about a person's own brain wave characteristics is made available to him/her, he or she can learn to change them. You can think of it as exercise for the brain.
Here is a simple example of biofeedback; In cold weather, when you are shivering, imagine what it would feel like if the warmth of the sun were shining on your back, between your shoulder blades and your neck. Done correctly, you will immediately stop shivering, for as long as you imagine the warmth of the sun shining there. A bit more useful, if you are subject to anxiety attacks, imagine what it would feel like if you drew an ice cube from the center of your lower lip, down your neck to your chest and stomach. Suddenly your heart is not racing, and you have control over yourself, from moment to moment at least.
Thanks to the study of the mind-body connection over the last thirty years there are several forms to choose from including: EEG [Electroencephalogram], GSR [Galvanic Skin Resistance] & HRV [Heart Rate Variability].
Acupuncture
There has also been good success for many using acupuncture. Traditional Chinese medical theory holds that acupuncture works by redirecting qi "vital energy" in the body. Pain or illnesses are treated by attempting to remedy local or systemic accumulations or deficiencies of qi. Pain is considered to indicate blockage or stagnation of the flow of qi, and an axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain". Modern acupuncture uses one time use needles which are thinner than a human hair and are inserted just beneath the first outer skin layer.
Treatment of acupoints may be performed along the 12 main or 8 extra meridians located throughout the body. 10 of the main meridians are named after organs of the body (Heart, Liver etc.) two after so called body functions (Heart Protector or Pericardium, and San Jiao, "triple heater"). The two most important of the eight "extra" meridians are situated on the midline of the anterior and posterior of the trunk and head.
The acupuncturist will decide which points to treat by thoroughly questioning the patient, and utilizing the diagnostic skills of traditional Chinese medicine, such as observation of the left and right radial pulse.
Although accepted as a medical treatment in Asia for millennia, acupuncture's arrival in the West has sparked much controversy. Acupuncture has eluded scientific explanation to some degree. However, in 1997, the NIH issued a consensus statement on acupuncture that concluded that there is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value. The NIH statement noted that the data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies.
Of course each of these alternative treatments requires a trained and qualified professional to get you started.