Bladder Control
The body stores urine in the
bladder. During urination, muscles in the bladder contract or tighten.
This forces urine out of the bladder and into a tube called the
urethra that carries urine out of the body. At the same time, muscles
surrounding the urethra relax and let the
urine pass through. Spinal nerves control how these muscles move.
Incontinence occurs if the bladder muscles contract or the muscles
surrounding the urethra relax without warning.
Diagnosis
The first step in treating a bladder control problem is to see a doctor. He or she will give you a physical exam and take your medical history. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and the medicines you use. He or she will want to know if you have been sick recently or had surgery. Your doctor also may do a number of tests. These might include:
- urine and blood tests and
- tests that measure how well you empty your bladder.
In addition, your doctor may ask you to keep a daily diary of when you urinate and when you leak urine. Your pattern of urinating and urine leakage may suggest which type of incontinence you have.
Types of Incontinence
There are several different types of urinary incontinence:
- Stress incontinence
happens when urine leaks during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing,
lifting heavy objects, or other body movements that put
pressure on the bladder. It is the most common type of bladder control problem in younger and middle-age women. In some cases it is related to childbirth. It may also begin around the time of menopause.
- Urge incontinence
happens when people can’t hold their urine long enough to get to
the toilet in time. Healthy people can have urge incontinence, but
it is often found in people who have diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s
disease, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. It is also
sometimes an early sign of bladder cancer.
- Overflow incontinence
happens when small amounts of urine leak from a bladder that is
always full. A man can have trouble emptying his bladder if an enlarged
prostate is blocking the urethra. Diabetes and spinal cord injury
can also cause this type of incontinence.
- Functional incontinence happens in many older people who have normal bladder control. They just have a hard time getting to the toilet in time because of arthritis or other disorders that make moving quickly difficult.
