Dealing with Incontinence
You Are Not Alone
Loss of bladder control, or urinary incontinence, is a common condition, affecting from 5% to 10% of the population.
The tendency to leak urine or lose control of the bladder can affect people of all ages and both genders.
Just remember - incontinence is not a disease; it is a symptom of an underlying problem.
You Can Manage - There is Help
Incontinence can be treated with special exercises, medication and occasionally surgery. There are also support organizations with the mission of helping both the incontinent patient and the caregiver cope with this challenging condition.
How Your Body Makes, Stores and Releases Urine
When you eat and drink, your body absorbs fluids. The kidneys filter out waste products from the body fluids and make urine.
• Urine travels down tubes called ureters into a muscular sac called the urinary bladder, which stores the urine.
• When you are ready to go to the bathroom,
your brain tells your system to relax.
• Urine travels out of your bladder through a tube called the urethra.
• You release urine by relaxing the urethral sphincter and contracting the bladder muscles. The urethral sphincter is a group of muscles that tightens to hold urine in and loosens to let it out.
Many people lose urine when they don't want to. When this happens enough to be a problem, it is called urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence is common, but some people are to embarrassed to get help. The good news is that millions of men and women are successfully treated and cured.
Tell Your Doctor
It is important to tell your doctor about the problem. You may want to print out this page and take it with you to help you talk about your incontinence.
Additional Resources
|
National Association of Incontinence www.nafc.org |
|
|
American Urological Association (AUA) www.auafoundation.org |
|
|
American Disabilities Corporation www.ameridiscorp.com |