Actifed

Definition

Urinary incontinence is unintentional loss of urine that is sufficient enough in frequency and amount to cause physical and/or emotional distress in the person experiencing it.

Description

Approximately 13 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence. Women are affected by the disorder more frequently than are men; one in 10 women under age 65 suffer from urinary incontinence. Older Americans, too, are more prone to the condition. Twenty percent of Americans over age 65 are incontinent.

There are five major categories of urinary incontinence: overflow, stress, urge, functional, and reflex.

In some cases, an individual may develop short-term or acute incontinence. Acute incontinence may occur as a symptom or by-product of illness, as a side effect of medication, or as a result of dietary intake. The condition is typically easily resolved once the cause is determined and addressed.

• Overflow incontinence. Overflow incontinence is caused by bladder dysfunction. Individuals with this type of incontinence have an obstruction to the bladder or urethra, or a bladder that doesn't contract properly. As a result, their bladders do not empty completely, and they have problems with frequent urine leakage.
• Stress incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when an individual involuntarily loses urine after pressure is placed on the abdomen (i.e., during exercise, sexual activity, sneezing, coughing, laughing, or hugging).
• Urge incontinence. Urge incontinence occurs when an individual feels a sudden need to urinate, and cannot control the urge to do so. As a consequence, urine is involuntarily lost before the individual can get to the toilet.
• Functional incontinence. Individuals who have control over their own urination and have a fully functioning urinary tract, but cannot make it to the bathroom in time due to a physical or cognitive disability, are functionally incontinent. These individuals may suffer from arthritis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or Alzheimer's disease.
• Reflex incontinence. Individuals with reflex incontinence lose control of their bladder without warning. They typically suffer from neurological impairment.

Causes & symptoms

Urinary incontinence can be caused by a wide variety of physical conditions, including:

• Childbirth. Childbirth can weaken the pelvic muscles and cause the bladder to lose some support from surrounding muscles, resulting in stress incontinence.
• Dysfunction of the bladder and/or the urinary sphincter. In a continent individual, as the bladder contracts, the outlet that releases urine into the urethra (bladder sphincter) opens and urine exits the body. In individuals with overflow incontinence, bladder contractions and dilation of the sphincter do not occur at the same time.
• Enlarged prostate. In men, an enlarged prostate gland can obstruct the bladder, causing overflow incontinence.
• Hysterectomy or other gynecological surgery. Any surgery involving the urogenital tract runs the risk of damaging or weakening the pelvic muscles and causing incontinence.
• Menopause. The absence of estrogen in the postmenopausal woman can cause the bladder to drop, or prolapse.
• Neurological conditions. The nervous system sends signals to the bladder telling it when to start and stop emptying. When the nervous system is impaired, incontinence may result. Neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injuries, or a brain tumor may cause the bladder to contract involuntarily, expelling urine without warning, or to cease contractions completely, causing urinary retention.
• Obesity. Individuals who are overweight have undue pressure placed on their bladder and surrounding muscles.
• Obstruction. A blockage at the bladder outlet may permit only small amounts of urine to pass, resulting in urine retention and subsequent overflow incontinence. Tumors, calculi, and scar tissue can all block the flow of urine. A urethral stricture, or narrow urethra caused by scarring or inflammation, may also result in urine retention.

Acute incontinence is a temporary condition caused by a number of factors, including:

• Bladder irritants. Substances in the urine that irritate the bladder may cause the bladder muscle to malfunction. The presence of a urinary tract infection and the ingestion of excess caffeine can act as irritants. Highly concentrated urine resulting from low fluid intake may also irritate the bladder.
• Constipation. Constipation can cause incontinence in some individuals. Stool that isn't passed presses against the bladder and urethra, triggering urine leakage.
• Illness or disease. Diabetes can greatly increase urine volume, making some individuals prone to incontinence. Other illnesses may temporarily impair the ability to recognize and control the urge to urinate, or to reach the toilet in time to do so.
• Medications and alcohol. Medications that sedate, such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills, can interfere with the proper functioning of the urethral nerves and bladder. Both sedatives and alcohol can also impair an individual's ability to recognize the need to urinate, and act on that need in a timely manner. Other medications such as diuretics, muscle relaxants, and blood pressure medication can also affect bladder function.
• Surgery. Men who undergo prostate surgery can suffer from temporary stress incontinence as a result of damage to the urethral outlet.

Diagnosis

Urinary incontinence may be diagnosed by a general practitioner, urologist, or gynecologist. If the patient is over age 65, a geriatrician may diagnose and treat the condition. A thorough medical history and physical examination is typically performed, along with specific diagnostic testing to determine the cause of the incontinence. Diagnostic testing may include x rays, ultrasound, urine tests, and a physical examination of the pelvis. It may also include a series of exams that measure bladder pressure and capacity and the urinary flow (urodynamic testing). The patient may also be asked to keep a diary to record urine output, frequency, and any episodes of incontinence over a period of several days or a week.

Treatment

There are numerous invasive and noninvasive treatment options for urinary incontinence:

• Bladder training. Used to treat urge incontinence, bladder training involves placing a patient on a toileting schedule. The time interval between urination is then gradually increased until an acceptable time period between bathroom breaks is consistently achieved.
• Biofeedback. The use of sensors to monitor temperature and muscle contractions in the vagina to help incontinent patients learn to control their pelvic muscles.
• Collagen injections. Collagen injected in the tissue surrounding the urethra can provide urethral support for women suffering from stress incontinence.
• Inflatable urethral insert. Sold under the tradename Reliance, this disposable incontinence balloon for women is inserted into the urethra and inflated to prevent urine leakage.
• Intermittent urinary catheterization. The periodic insertion of a catheter into a patient's bladder to drain urine from the bladder into an attached bag or container.
• Medication. Estrogen hormone replacement therapy can help improve pelvic muscle tone in postmenopausal women. Anticholinergics (i.e., propantheline, or Pro-Banthine) and antispasmodics (i.e., oxybutynin, or Ditropan) are sometimes prescribed to relax the bladder muscles. Other over-the-counter medications such as pseudoephedrine (i.e., Actifed, Benadryl, Dimetapp) and phenylpropanolamine (i.e., Dexatrim, Acutrim) may be prescribed to tighten the urethral sphincter.
• Pelvic toning exercises. Exercises to tone the pelvic muscle can help alleviate stress incontinence in both men and women. These exercises involve tightening the muscles of the pelvic floor, and are also known as Kegel or PC muscle exercises.
• Perineal stimulation. Perineal stimulation is used to treat stress incontinence. The treatment uses a probe to deliver a painless electrical current to the perineal area muscles. The current tones the muscle by contracting it.
• Permanent catheterization. A permanent, or indwelling, catheter may be prescribed for chronic incontinence that doesn't respond to other treatments. A Foley catheter is usually used for urinary catheterization. One end is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder, and the external end is attached to a plastic reservoir bag that the patient may wear on the leg. A second alternative is a permanent catheter, called a suprapubic tube, surgically inserted into the bladder. The tube exits the body through the abdomen near the pubic bone, where it is attached to a drainage bag. As infection may result, this treatment should be reevaluated periodically, and the possibility of alternative treatment addressed.
• Surgery. Bladder neck suspension surgery is used to correct female urinary stress incontinence. Surgical techniques such as the Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz and Burch procedures use sutures to raise and support the bladder neck and urethra. A sling procedure, which uses a strip of biocompatible material or the patient's own muscle or tissue as a supportive sling under the urethra and bladder neck, may also be used to treat stress incontinence. Bladder enlargement surgery may be recommended to treat incontinent men and women with unusually small bladders.
• Urinary sphincter implant. An artificial urinary sphincter may be used to treat incontinence in men and women with urinary sphincter impairment.
• Vaginal inserts. Devices constructed of silicone or other pliable materials that can be inserted into a woman's vagina to support the urethra.

Prognosis

Left untreated, incontinence can cause physical and emotional upheaval. Individuals with long-term incontinence suffer from urinary tract infections, and skin rashes and sores. Incontinence can also affect their self-esteem and cause depression and social withdrawal. They frequently stop participating in physical activities they once enjoyed because of the risk of embarrassing "accidents." However, with the wide variety of treatment options for incontinence available today, the prognosis for incontinent patients is promising. If incontinence cannot be stopped, it can be improved in the majority of cases.

Prevention

Women who are pregnant or who have gone through childbirth can reduce their risk for stress incontinence by strengthening their perineal area muscles with Kegel exercises. Men who have undergone prostate surgery may also benefit from pelvic muscle exercises. Men and women should consult with their doctor before initiating any type of exercise program.

Key Terms

Bladder neck

The place where the urethra and bladder join.

Bladder sphincter

The outlet that releases urine into the urethra.

Calculi

Mineral deposits that can form a blockage in the urinary system.

Perineal area

The genital area between the vulva and anus in a woman, and between the scrotum and anus in a man.

Further Reading

For Your Information

Books

• Blaivas, Jerry. Conquering Bladder and Prostate Problems: The Authoritative Guide for Men and Women. New York, NY: Plenum, 1998.
• King, Barbara, and Harke, Judy. Coping with Bowel and Bladder Problems. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group, 1994.

  Periodicals

• Sandroff, Ronni. "Urgent Matters: Incontinence is Treatable, if Only Women Would Talk about It." American Health for Women 16, no.8 (Oct 1997):28-30.
• Strange, Carolyn J. "Incontinence Can Be Controlled." FDA Consumer 31, no.5 (July-August 1997):28-31.

  Organizations

• American Foundation for Urologic Disease. 1128 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. (800) 242-2383. http://www.afud.org/.
• National Association for Continence. 2650 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29307. (800) 252-3337. http://www.nafc.org/.
• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). 3 Information Way, Bethesda, MD 20892-3580. (800) 891-5388. http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/urolog/pubs/kuorg/kuorg.htm/.

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Gale Research, 1999.