Urinary incontinence in adults is a much more prevalent issue than most would think, but it is one that most do not want to discuss. It is the accidental leakage of body fluids.
Incontinence is expected in infants as they have no control over things such as leakage. In young children, incontinence is more common in boys than in girls.
Also, incontinence or bedwetting is not so common in girls because they learn bladder control faster than boys do. However, adult incontinence is common in both women and men.
Women become a little more prone than men because of the effects of pregnancy and childbirth. That being said, for some, it is more of an emotional problem and can impact a person's self-esteem and interactions.
Let's delve into what adult incontinence is, its causes, and the changes that can be made to feel normal again.
Types of Adult Incontinence, Its Causes, and Solutions
There are three types of adult incontinence: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, and overflow incontinence. Others mention a fourth type, which is actually just the combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
1. Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence is the involuntary leaking of moisture due to actions that stress or put added pressure on the bladder. Actions such as coughing, sneezing, lifting objects, and even laughing are some of the actions that trigger this accidental loss of moisture.
This type of adult incontinence is due to the weakening of the pelvic muscles, particularly the pelvic floor muscles or a damaged urethral sphincter, which may be caused by childbirth, aging or a hysterectomy.
Giving birth sometimes weakens the ability of the pelvic muscles to control contraction. This usually leads to stress incontinence.
While stress incontinence is more common in women, men also can get it after prostate surgery. It can sometimes be minor and unpredictable – light or moderate incontinence – or more severe and possibly more regular incontinence.
Solution
Fortunately, this condition has numerous potential ways for management and improvement. Some changes that could help include eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, not drinking excessive tea/coffee, and having regular checkups.
Aside from medication, someone with adult incontinence can also perform exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. An exercise commonly used for this purpose is the Kegel exercise, which involves tightening and relaxing the muscles to regain full control.
Other alternative cures are also available, like yoga, acupuncture, and hypnosis. There are even medicines for strengthening the sphincter muscle. Such medicines are helpful because the sphincter muscle is the one responsible for 'sealing' the passage of fluids to prevent accidental dribbling.
For those requiring more assistance, there are prescribed medicines and incontinence products, like adult diapers or other surgical procedures, to look into. It's all about diagnosing it early and trying to identify a way to bring back confidence and a feeling of control.
2. Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence, as the name implies, is brought about by the sudden desire or urge to urinate that cannot be controlled to give time for the person to rush to the restroom. This type of adult incontinence is due to damage to the nerves that control bladder actions.
For example, neurological disease, diabetes, bladder infection and this type of incontinence also usually occur at an older age. The risks of experiencing incontinence increase with age. But one should not really dread it because it is a treatable problem.
Another cause is enlargement of the prostate gland in males. An enlarged prostate may squeeze the urethra to cause interrupted urine flow, frequent urination, urge incontinence, or overflow incontinence. A person with urge incontinence can have a lot of problems.
Solution
There are medications for this type of incontinence. These medicines relax the bladder so one can control urge incontinence.
That being said, there are several effective ways to solve it. It may sound like simple advice, but reduction of caffeine and alcohol intake can go a long way in minimizing irritation of the bladder.
Also, bladder training that involves trying to wait longer between bathroom trips, as well as the use of pelvic floor exercises, improves bladder control. Further, some of the solutions for adult incontinence include taking medications that prevent the bladder muscle from contracting or using diaper pads or pull-ups.
In some of the severe conditions, surgery can be needed. But with adequate treatment and support, there is a chance of taking over and living a good quality of life again.
3. Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence is due to the overproduction of body fluids that are more than what the bladder can hold. This leads to leaking, or what is commonly called dribbling.
This type of adult incontinence is caused by obstruction or weak bladder muscles that prevent the bladder from emptying completely, which later on causes overflow. Overflow incontinence in people is often due to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or those with a blocked urinary tract that cannot fully empty the bladder.
Sometimes, you can hardly tell that you need to release, which makes it difficult to note if there is an issue. Symptoms of overflow incontinence may be more severe and range from UTIs and other complications that affect kidneys. Therefore, this condition should be treated as soon as it is identified.
Urinary tract infection causes incontinence. But this happens more in younger women or those in their reproductive years than in the elderly.
Frequent constipation or impacted stool can also lead to adult incontinence, particularly the urge and the overflow type. The bladder or the urethra is mechanically disturbed by the impacted body fluids.
Solution
In most cases, treatment is given by first dealing with the cause. For instance, in case of a blockage, you may need surgery, or a catheter has to be inserted.
Sometimes, it is possible to get prescribed certain medicines to help the bladder calm and possibly contract. Specific behavioral measures such as timed bathroom visits or other interventions can also go a long way in improving these overflow symptoms.
Moreover, early treatment will help minimize these repercussions and ensure that your bladder remains healthy.
4. Functional Incontinence
Functional incontinence is not about bladder damage but rather the inability to reach the bathroom on time because of physical or cognitive disability. They commonly occur in patients with ailments such as arthritis, autism, Parkinson's disease, or dementia, and find it challenging to handle their bathroom issues on their own.
Stroke and Parkinson's disease cause incontinence because they could lead to damage to the nerves involved in bladder control. And just like the two, spinal cord injuries could also affect the nerves associated with the bladder and lead to bedwetting in adults.
For instance, for a person with arthritis, it may take them a long time to undress or for a person with Alzheimer's, they may not even notice that they need to make a trip to the bathroom.
This type of incontinence is quite a little challenging and sometimes embarrassing for the patient. It is also equally tough for caregivers to assist them.
Solution
For this incontinence, even elements such as the installation of grab bars in the bathroom, the application of specialized clothing, or the location of a commode can be extremely helpful.
In case there are memory or cognitive issues, one may set a certain time to ask to go to the bathroom or may softly remind about it.
This way, the functional incontinence patient and the caregivers can ensure that this type of incontinence can be effectively managed while still affording them the required dignity and enabling them to exercise self-reliance.
One Solution for All
Wellness Briefs is the ideal solution to all types of adult incontinence, offering comfort and peace of mind. Many incontinence products for men & women are available for preventing incontinence.
From stress, urge, overflow, and functional incontinence, their adult diapers are designed to help keep you leak-free so you remain dry and confident throughout the day and night. Soft and breathable with a secure fit, these ensure skin health and assurance of comfort.
Further, their discreet design allows you to move throughout the day worry-free, no matter what situation may arise. Wellness Briefs also come in many varieties to allow you to live both free and confident, with dignity.
Take Charge of Incontinence
Understanding the root cause of any incontinence problem is the way to prevent it from becoming even more troublesome. Hence, knowing the different types of incontinence and its causes helps you gain knowledge to maintain it with minimum problems.
For example, be it stress, urge, overflow or functional incontinence, taking required precautions like exercises, appropriate diet, incontinence products and so on, helps effectively.
Furthermore, choosing the best products, like adult diapers, from trusted sites like Wellness Briefs can also assist with any type of incontinence.
For more information on adult diapers, please check us out on the web at https://wellnessbriefs.com
FAQs
1. What are the causes of adult incontinence?
Incontinence might be aggravated due to different reasons such as weak pelvic floor muscles, peripheral neuropathy, hormonal changes, some medicines, diseases like diabetes, prostate complications, and aging.
2. Is adult incontinence avoidable?
Not all cases of incontinence can be avoided. However, a healthy lifestyle, managing chronic diseases, and doing pelvic floor exercises can decrease the chances of one developing the condition. Early consultation with the healthcare professional can also effectively control further symptoms.
3. Can incontinence products effectively address the various forms of incontinence?
Indeed, incontinence products, like adult diapers, are meant to address different forms and severity of incontinence so that people do not feel embarrassed due to the condition. These products do not cure the problem, but they assist people in leading a better life since the problem of incontinence may restrict a person from performing their daily tasks.
4. What is a popular brand of incontinence products?
Wellness Briefs is a popular brand of incontinent products, which is popular for its discreet visuals and reliability. Some of their products include Wellness UltraThin Briefs and Wellness Pull-On Diapers designed with ultimate absorbency, high comfort, and skin care for all categories of incontinence.
