It is estimated that over 10 million South African men and women suffer from urinary incontinence so if you are worried about a leaking bladder you are not alone. The good news is that in many cases urinary incontinence can successfully be treated by your doctor and that many products are available to manage your conditions.
This section explains the major types of urinary incontinence, their causes and the possible treatment options. Your doctor will be able to advise on what treatments are suitable for you.
The four major types of urinary incontinence are:
Stress incontinence
means you leak urine when you increase the pressure on the bladder when coughing, sneezing or exercising. It happens when the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder are weakened. Stress incontinence is the most common forme of urinary incontinence and is more prevalent in women than men.
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Urge incontinence is the second most common form of urinary incontinence. Urge incontinence means you have an urgent desire to pass urine and sometimes urine leaks before you have time to get to the toilet. It is usually due to an overactive bladder. Treatment with bladder retraining often cures the problem. Medication may also be advised to relax the bladder.
Overflow incontinence is a form of urinary incontinence
, characterized by the involuntary release of urine from an overfull urinary bladder, often in the absence of any urge to urinate.
Functional incontinence is a form of urinary incontinence in which a person is usually aware of the need to urinate, but for one or more physical or mental reasons they are unable to get to a bathroom. The loss of urine can vary, from small leakages to full emptying of the bladder.