Patient education: Urinary incontinence in females (The Basics)

What is urinary incontinence? — "Urinary incontinence" is the medical term for when a person leaks urine or loses bladder control.

Incontinence is a very common problem, but it is not a normal part of aging. If you have this problem, there are treatments that can help. There are also things you can do on your own to stop or reduce urine leakage so you don't have to "just live with it."

What are the symptoms of incontinence? — There are different types of incontinence. Each causes different symptoms. The 3 most common types are:

●Stress incontinence – With stress incontinence, you leak urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or do anything that "stresses" the belly. Stress incontinence is most common in females, especially those who have had a baby.

●Urgency incontinence – With urgency incontinence, you feel a strong need to urinate all of a sudden. This is also known as "urge incontinence." Often the "urge" is so strong that you can't make it to the bathroom in time. "Overactive bladder" is another term for having a sudden, frequent urge to urinate. People with overactive bladder might or might not actually leak urine.

●Mixed incontinence – With mixed incontinence, you have symptoms of both stress and urgency incontinence.

Is there anything I can do on my own to feel better? — Yes. Here are some steps that can help reduce urine leaks:

●Reduce the amount of liquid you drink, especially a few hours before bed.

●Cut down on any foods or drinks that make your symptoms worse. Some people find that alcohol, caffeine, or spicy or acidic foods irritate the bladder.

●Try to lose weight, if you are overweight. Your doctor or nurse can help you do this in a healthy way.

●If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar as close to your goal level as possible.

●If you take medicines called diuretics, plan ahead. These medicines increase the need to urinate. Try to take them when you know you will be near a bathroom for a few hours. If you keep having problems with leaking because of diuretics, ask your doctor if you can take a lower dose or switch to a different medicine.

These techniques can also help improve bladder control:

●Bladder retraining – During bladder retraining, you go to the bathroom at scheduled times. For instance, you might decide that you will go every hour. You would make yourself go every hour, even if you didn't feel like you needed to. And you would try to wait until a whole hour had passed if you needed to go sooner. Then, once you got used to going every hour, you would increase the amount of time you waited in between bathroom visits. Over time, you might be able to "retrain" your bladder to wait 3 or 4 hours between bathroom visits.

●Pelvic muscle exercises – Pelvic muscle exercises strengthen the muscles that control the flow of urine. When done right, these exercises can help. But people often do them wrong. Ask your doctor or nurse how to do them right. Your doctor might suggest working with a physical therapist who has special training in these exercises.

Should I see my doctor or nurse? — Yes. Your doctor or nurse can find out what might be causing your incontinence. They can also suggest ways to relieve the problem.

When you speak to your doctor or nurse, ask if any of the medicines you take could be causing your symptoms. Some medicines can cause incontinence or make it worse.

Some people choose to wear pads or special underwear. These can help if you accidentally leak urine once in a while. But they can also cause skin irritation if you use them a lot. If you have incontinence, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor or nurse about how to treat it.

How is incontinence treated? — The treatment options differ depending on what type of incontinence you have. Some of the options include:

●Medicines to relax the bladder

●Surgery to repair the tissues that support the bladder or to improve the flow of urine

●Electrical stimulation of the nerves that relax the bladder

Urinary incontinence is more common in people who have been through menopause. (Menopause is when you stop having monthly periods). Some people have vaginal dryness after menopause. If this is the case for you, a treatment called vaginal estrogen might help.

What will my life be like? — Many people with incontinence can regain bladder control or at least reduce the amount of leakage they have. The most important thing is to speak up about it to your doctor or nurse. Then work with them to find an approach that helps you.

More on this topic

Patient education: Pelvic muscle (Kegel) exercises (The Basics)
Patient education: Treatments for urgency incontinence in females (The Basics)

Patient education: Urinary incontinence treatments for women (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Urinary incontinence in women (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Pelvic floor muscle exercises (Beyond the Basics)