It is wrong to think that only elderly men suffer from incontinence. According to a survey, a large number of middle-aged and adult men also suffer from incontinence. It hinders their lives in many ways and they often seek solutions for it.
In men, incontinence can be caused by conditions such as prostate enlargement, diabetes, and obesity. It can also occur after certain types of surgery and medication. Incontinence can sometimes develop for reasons we do not fully understand, such as a bladder infection.
Treatment of the incontinence in men depends on the accurate diagnosis, i.e. it is important to identify the type of incontinence a man is facing before looking for ways to manage and treat the problem.
Types of Incontinence in Men
Visiting a urologist will probably help, but before that, you should know which kind of incontinence you are suffering from. The types of incontinence mentioned below are prevalent in men:-
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control, which results in the leaking of urine. This is usually caused by an enlarged prostate or narrow urethra. It is a very common problem in men and leaves them with no control over urination. You do not have to feel isolated at all because millions of people suffering from urinary incontinence have found ways to manage their lives like pros.
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence refers to the loss of urine that occurs when you cough, sneeze, lift something heavy, pull and push heavy things or perform other activities. In men, this is usually the result of problems with the sphincter muscle, a muscle that is meant to compress tightly to seal the bladder.
Passive incontinence
Passive incontinence happens when a person urinates unconsciously because they cannot feel any pressure. They do not know that the rectum is full and ready to be emptied, and cannot control themselves; therefore, a leak of feces or urine may occur without them realizing it’s happening.
The brain signals that your bladder is not draining itself, even if it is full, while the bladder muscles actually contract and expel urine.
Overflow incontinence
A situation where it is not possible to empty the bladder completely, causing an unexpected loss of urine.
Overflow incontinence is also known as excessive incontinence and can be caused by a blockage of the urethra that results in an accumulation of urine in the bladder. Over time, the bladder becomes so full that pressure builds up, and excess urine flows from the bladder through the block. Overflow incontinence can also occur due to a weakening of the bladder muscles.
Urge incontinence
Do you find yourself unable to control the dribbling of urine? This is due to urge incontinence, where you can feel the urge to urinate involuntary. An overactive bladder is a clinical syndrome characterized by the urgency with urinary incontinence, often accompanied by frequent nocturia.
Mixed incontinence
Mixed incontinence can be a combination of any two symptoms. If you are facing both urge and stress incontinence or passive or urinary incontinence together, you may be suffering from mixed incontinence.
Usually, people with mixed incontinence face a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence. If you have both types of incontinence, one usually poses more problems than the other. Try to cope with the type of incontinence that is more severe.
How to treat incontinence
Urinary incontinence in humans has become more common; hence, relevant treatment is always required. Some useful treatments are as follows:-
1. Train your bladder. If you are a grownup man, it would take a few weeks to train your bladder. This training will help you control the frequency and urgency of the urge to urinate.
2. Exercise; nothing can possibly beat its good effect. This habit helps your body to support your bowel movements.
3. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes if you really want a carefree life. When you consume these kinds of drinks and even junk foods, it adversely affects your bladder.
4. Plan visits to the bathroom at fixed intervals. Your aim should be to regulate the number of times you visit the bathroom. If you need to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes, slowly try to control and delay the urge to pee for 10 minutes. If you succeed in doing this, try retaining pee for 15 minutes and so on. This habit will increase your capacity to hold for a long time.
5. After making a full evaluation, your doctor may prescribe medications to treat bladder incontinence. After taking the full course of medications, your bladder capacity will surely get better.
6. Go for surgery if you feel it is too hard to manage incontinence. You can go for prostate surgery after the consultation with your doctor. However, remember that Surgery is reserved for incontinence that does not respond to less invasive treatments. During surgery, the urethra is surgically armored to aid in activities such as coughing and sneezing.
How to manage incontinence
Thanks to incontinence products for men, managing incontinence has become very easy. Nevertheless, you need to put in some efforts from your side as well.
Urinary incontinence in men affects the quality of their health and is associated with a significant psychosexual and financial burden. This can be harmful to them in the long term. Keep these managing tips in mind to stay comfortable:-
1. Wear extra absorbent diapers at night or while traveling for long hours.
2. Check your body mass index (BMI) and reduce or gain weight accordingly.
3. Hygiene and personal care strategies have been used primarily to maintain incontinence and reduce the impact it has on normal day-to-day activities.
4. Keep yourself busy with several activities. This will help to distract your mind and prevent you from thinking about urinating. There are plenty of things like cooking, cleaning, and shopping which can help you forget about your physical condition.
5. Drink enough liquid during the day: not too much or too little. Doctors prescribe 6 to 8 glasses of water for people suffering from any kind of incontinence.
