urinary incontinence brochure
DESCRIPTION
Urinary Incontinence brochure from Harvard Medical SchoolTRANSCRIPT
www.patientedu.org
Read this brochure online. Scan the QR code or visit:
www.patientedu.org/incontinence
Urinary Incontinence
Brought to you by Written byHarvard Medical SchoolOther treatments. The sacral nerve at the bottom of your
spine reminds your bladder “not to go” until it is full. Several treatments aim to improve this “hold it” signal in order to relieve overactive bladder. Botox—the same medicine used to treat cosmetic wrinkles—is an option for relaxing a severe overactive bladder. Injections of “bulking agents” can help some forms of stress incontinence by shoring up the outlet muscles.
Surgery. Many procedures for incontinence are now relatively quick and require less recovery time. Often, surgery can be done on an outpatient basis or even in the doctor’s office. The decision to have surgery is a personal one with no right or wrong answer. You may consider surgery if other treatments are unsuccessful or unlikely to help your type of incontinence. Even if you opt for surgery, bladder training and strengthening your pelvic muscles still provide important benefits. They increase the chances that surgery will be successful. If you decide to have surgery, be sure that your surgeon is highly trained and experienced in the procedure you need.
Living with your bladderWhether your bladder control problems are mild or severe, it can be a frustrating problem to deal with. Although you may feel alone, help is available from many sources. Simply getting treatment can greatly improve well-being, even if
symptoms don’t improve much.
A therapist can help you cope with your emotions and the stress of
treatment. And don’t be afraid to tell friends and family. You’d be surprised how many other people—both men and women—have experienced some form of urinary incontinence. A support
group can link you to others who are going through the same experience and can offer practical advice and emotional support.
ResourcesNational Association for ContinenceP.O. Box 1019Charleston, SC 29402800-252-3337 (toll-free) www.nafc.org
American Urological Association1000 Corporate Blvd. Linthicum, MD 21090866-746-4282 (toll-free) www.urologyhealth.org
About This Brochure: This brochure was written by practicing physicians from Harvard Medical School. It is part of a series developed and distributed by the Patient Education Center. All the information in this brochure and on the associated Web site (www.patientedu.org) is intended for educational use only; it is not intended to provide, or be a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Only a physician or other qualified health care professional can provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician on all matters of your personal health. Harvard Medical School, the Patient Education Center, and its affiliates do not endorse any products.
Consulting Physician: Anthony L. Komaroff, MD Editorial Director: Keith D’Oria
Creative Director: Jon Nichol
© Copyright Harvard Medical School.Printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper.
Patient Education Center 2127 Second Avenue North
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Brought to you by: Patient Education Center
& Harvard Medical School
PEC-PC-INC-005
TreatmentTreatment options for urinary incontinence range from simple steps you can take at home to surgery. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your bladder control problems. No treatment works perfectly, so you may need to try several.
Kegel exercises. Kegels are often the place to start for urge and stress incontinence. Practice tightening the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine or rectal gas. Your doctor can give you specific instructions on doing Kegels.
Bladder training. By following a program of urinating on schedule, bladder training helps you slowly increase the amount of urine you can comfortably hold.
Watch your fluid intake. Drink fluids only when you feel thirsty, and stick to six to eight 8-ounce cups of fluid per day (including soup or milk in your cereal) unless you have a health condition that requires more. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol. They can cause your body to produce more urine.
Drugs. A number of drugs can help with incontinence symptoms. Some relax muscles in the bladder and the outlet muscles and some tighten those muscles. Some act on the nerves in the bladder, while others can help control the amount of urine your body produces while sleeping. Your doctor may recommend one of these drugs based on your type of bladder control problem.
Common types of urinary incontinenceUrge incontinence (“overactive bladder”) is most common in older adults. It occurs when the bladder wall muscle suddenly contracts before the bladder is full. The result is a strong urge to urinate. Often, a little bit of urine will leak before a person can get to a bathroom.
Stress incontinence results when the pelvic floor is weak or when the outlet muscles aren’t strong enough to con trol urine flow. Stress incontinence is common in women who have had many children and in men who have had prostate surgery. A cough, a sneeze, or an exercise in creases pressure on the bladder, forcing urine to leak out.
Mixed incontinence occurs most often in older women and is caused by a combination of urge incontinence and stress incontinence.
Overflow incontinence happens when the bladder gets too full. The cause is usually a problem in fully emptying the bladder in the first place. Men with an enlarged prostate may have this type of incontinence. Symptoms include dribbling of urine and urinating often, usually with small amounts coming out each time.
What type of incontinence do you have?Don’t let shame keep you from seeing your doctor about bladder control problems. These talks with your doctor can help figure out what is causing your incontinence and lead to potential treatment. You can help by keeping a written record of when you urinate. A pelvic exam is important for women; for men, a prostate exam may be of help. Tests might include checking your urine for infection and blood tests to check your kidneys and overall health. Your doctor might also suggest other tests.
Don’t let shame keep you from seeing your doctor about bladder
control problems.
Most people take bladder control for granted, but that may change if urine leaks when you don’t expect it, or if you find yourself needing
the bathroom a lot. Urinary incontinence is the accidental loss of urine, and it’s a condition that’s far more common than you might think.
Bladder control problems occur more often in women. Why? Pregnancy and childbirth can damage the muscles that
support the bladder (the pelvic floor). Shifting hormone levels at menopause is another cause. For men, prostate problems and
their treatment can also lead to bladder control problems. Aging, medications,
nerve damage, and health problems (eg, diabetes) can trigger incontinence in both sexes.
A person with bladder control problems may start to plan his or her day around access to a bathroom or give up their favorite activities, such as exercise, social events, and travel.
If this is happening to you, learn about treatments that can cure or greatly improve your symptoms.
Your bladderYour kidneys are constantly making urine, but you don’t want to be constantly urinating. To allow you to urinate just occasionally, nature gave us bladders. Your bladder is a hollow organ that stretches to hold urine coming from your kidneys. As the bladder gets nearly full, you’ll feel the need to use the bathroom. Your nervous system controls when you urinate by activating two key muscle groups: 1) the bladder wall muscle squeezes (contracts), and 2) the muscles at the bladder outlet relax, allowing urine to pass.
Good bladder control requires three things:
1. The muscle in the walls of the bladder can’t contract too soon.
2. The muscles at the outlet of the bladder need to control the flow.
3. The pelvic floor must support the bladder.
TreatmentTreatment options for urinary incontinence range from simple steps you can take at home to surgery. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your bladder control problems. No treatment works perfectly, so you may need to try several.
Kegel exercises. Kegels are often the place to start for urge and stress incontinence. Practice tightening the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine or rectal gas. Your doctor can give you specific instructions on doing Kegels.
Bladder training. By following a program of urinating on schedule, bladder training helps you slowly increase the amount of urine you can comfortably hold.
Watch your fluid intake. Drink fluids only when you feel thirsty, and stick to six to eight 8-ounce cups of fluid per day (including soup or milk in your cereal) unless you have a health condition that requires more. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol. They can cause your body to produce more urine.
Drugs. A number of drugs can help with incontinence symptoms. Some relax muscles in the bladder and the outlet muscles and some tighten those muscles. Some act on the nerves in the bladder, while others can help control the amount of urine your body produces while sleeping. Your doctor may recommend one of these drugs based on your type of bladder control problem.
Common types of urinary incontinenceUrge incontinence (“overactive bladder”) is most common in older adults. It occurs when the bladder wall muscle suddenly contracts before the bladder is full. The result is a strong urge to urinate. Often, a little bit of urine will leak before a person can get to a bathroom.
Stress incontinence results when the pelvic floor is weak or when the outlet muscles aren’t strong enough to con trol urine flow. Stress incontinence is common in women who have had many children and in men who have had prostate surgery. A cough, a sneeze, or an exercise in creases pressure on the bladder, forcing urine to leak out.
Mixed incontinence occurs most often in older women and is caused by a combination of urge incontinence and stress incontinence.
Overflow incontinence happens when the bladder gets too full. The cause is usually a problem in fully emptying the bladder in the first place. Men with an enlarged prostate may have this type of incontinence. Symptoms include dribbling of urine and urinating often, usually with small amounts coming out each time.
What type of incontinence do you have?Don’t let shame keep you from seeing your doctor about bladder control problems. These talks with your doctor can help figure out what is causing your incontinence and lead to potential treatment. You can help by keeping a written record of when you urinate. A pelvic exam is important for women; for men, a prostate exam may be of help. Tests might include checking your urine for infection and blood tests to check your kidneys and overall health. Your doctor might also suggest other tests.
Don’t let shame keep you from seeing your doctor about bladder
control problems.
Most people take bladder control for granted, but that may change if urine leaks when you don’t expect it, or if you find yourself needing
the bathroom a lot. Urinary incontinence is the accidental loss of urine, and it’s a condition that’s far more common than you might think.
Bladder control problems occur more often in women. Why? Pregnancy and childbirth can damage the muscles that
support the bladder (the pelvic floor). Shifting hormone levels at menopause is another cause. For men, prostate problems and
their treatment can also lead to bladder control problems. Aging, medications,
nerve damage, and health problems (eg, diabetes) can trigger incontinence in both sexes.
A person with bladder control problems may start to plan his or her day around access to a bathroom or give up their favorite activities, such as exercise, social events, and travel.
If this is happening to you, learn about treatments that can cure or greatly improve your symptoms.
Your bladderYour kidneys are constantly making urine, but you don’t want to be constantly urinating. To allow you to urinate just occasionally, nature gave us bladders. Your bladder is a hollow organ that stretches to hold urine coming from your kidneys. As the bladder gets nearly full, you’ll feel the need to use the bathroom. Your nervous system controls when you urinate by activating two key muscle groups: 1) the bladder wall muscle squeezes (contracts), and 2) the muscles at the bladder outlet relax, allowing urine to pass.
Good bladder control requires three things:
1. The muscle in the walls of the bladder can’t contract too soon.
2. The muscles at the outlet of the bladder need to control the flow.
3. The pelvic floor must support the bladder.
TreatmentTreatment options for urinary incontinence range from simple steps you can take at home to surgery. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your bladder control problems. No treatment works perfectly, so you may need to try several.
Kegel exercises. Kegels are often the place to start for urge and stress incontinence. Practice tightening the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine or rectal gas. Your doctor can give you specific instructions on doing Kegels.
Bladder training. By following a program of urinating on schedule, bladder training helps you slowly increase the amount of urine you can comfortably hold.
Watch your fluid intake. Drink fluids only when you feel thirsty, and stick to six to eight 8-ounce cups of fluid per day (including soup or milk in your cereal) unless you have a health condition that requires more. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol. They can cause your body to produce more urine.
Drugs. A number of drugs can help with incontinence symptoms. Some relax muscles in the bladder and the outlet muscles and some tighten those muscles. Some act on the nerves in the bladder, while others can help control the amount of urine your body produces while sleeping. Your doctor may recommend one of these drugs based on your type of bladder control problem.
Common types of urinary incontinenceUrge incontinence (“overactive bladder”) is most common in older adults. It occurs when the bladder wall muscle suddenly contracts before the bladder is full. The result is a strong urge to urinate. Often, a little bit of urine will leak before a person can get to a bathroom.
Stress incontinence results when the pelvic floor is weak or when the outlet muscles aren’t strong enough to con trol urine flow. Stress incontinence is common in women who have had many children and in men who have had prostate surgery. A cough, a sneeze, or an exercise in creases pressure on the bladder, forcing urine to leak out.
Mixed incontinence occurs most often in older women and is caused by a combination of urge incontinence and stress incontinence.
Overflow incontinence happens when the bladder gets too full. The cause is usually a problem in fully emptying the bladder in the first place. Men with an enlarged prostate may have this type of incontinence. Symptoms include dribbling of urine and urinating often, usually with small amounts coming out each time.
What type of incontinence do you have?Don’t let shame keep you from seeing your doctor about bladder control problems. These talks with your doctor can help figure out what is causing your incontinence and lead to potential treatment. You can help by keeping a written record of when you urinate. A pelvic exam is important for women; for men, a prostate exam may be of help. Tests might include checking your urine for infection and blood tests to check your kidneys and overall health. Your doctor might also suggest other tests.
Don’t let shame keep you from seeing your doctor about bladder
control problems.
Most people take bladder control for granted, but that may change if urine leaks when you don’t expect it, or if you find yourself needing
the bathroom a lot. Urinary incontinence is the accidental loss of urine, and it’s a condition that’s far more common than you might think.
Bladder control problems occur more often in women. Why? Pregnancy and childbirth can damage the muscles that
support the bladder (the pelvic floor). Shifting hormone levels at menopause is another cause. For men, prostate problems and
their treatment can also lead to bladder control problems. Aging, medications,
nerve damage, and health problems (eg, diabetes) can trigger incontinence in both sexes.
A person with bladder control problems may start to plan his or her day around access to a bathroom or give up their favorite activities, such as exercise, social events, and travel.
If this is happening to you, learn about treatments that can cure or greatly improve your symptoms.
Your bladderYour kidneys are constantly making urine, but you don’t want to be constantly urinating. To allow you to urinate just occasionally, nature gave us bladders. Your bladder is a hollow organ that stretches to hold urine coming from your kidneys. As the bladder gets nearly full, you’ll feel the need to use the bathroom. Your nervous system controls when you urinate by activating two key muscle groups: 1) the bladder wall muscle squeezes (contracts), and 2) the muscles at the bladder outlet relax, allowing urine to pass.
Good bladder control requires three things:
1. The muscle in the walls of the bladder can’t contract too soon.
2. The muscles at the outlet of the bladder need to control the flow.
3. The pelvic floor must support the bladder.
www.patientedu.org
Read this brochure online. Scan the QR code or visit:
www.patientedu.org/incontinence
Urinary Incontinence
Brought to you by Written byHarvard Medical SchoolOther treatments. The sacral nerve at the bottom of your
spine reminds your bladder “not to go” until it is full. Several treatments aim to improve this “hold it” signal in order to relieve overactive bladder. Botox—the same medicine used to treat cosmetic wrinkles—is an option for relaxing a severe overactive bladder. Injections of “bulking agents” can help some forms of stress incontinence by shoring up the outlet muscles.
Surgery. Many procedures for incontinence are now relatively quick and require less recovery time. Often, surgery can be done on an outpatient basis or even in the doctor’s office. The decision to have surgery is a personal one with no right or wrong answer. You may consider surgery if other treatments are unsuccessful or unlikely to help your type of incontinence. Even if you opt for surgery, bladder training and strengthening your pelvic muscles still provide important benefits. They increase the chances that surgery will be successful. If you decide to have surgery, be sure that your surgeon is highly trained and experienced in the procedure you need.
Living with your bladderWhether your bladder control problems are mild or severe, it can be a frustrating problem to deal with. Although you may feel alone, help is available from many sources. Simply getting treatment can greatly improve well-being, even if
symptoms don’t improve much.
A therapist can help you cope with your emotions and the stress of
treatment. And don’t be afraid to tell friends and family. You’d be surprised how many other people—both men and women—have experienced some form of urinary incontinence. A support
group can link you to others who are going through the same experience and can offer practical advice and emotional support.
ResourcesNational Association for ContinenceP.O. Box 1019Charleston, SC 29402800-252-3337 (toll-free) www.nafc.org
American Urological Association1000 Corporate Blvd. Linthicum, MD 21090866-746-4282 (toll-free) www.urologyhealth.org
About This Brochure: This brochure was written by practicing physicians from Harvard Medical School. It is part of a series developed and distributed by the Patient Education Center. All the information in this brochure and on the associated Web site (www.patientedu.org) is intended for educational use only; it is not intended to provide, or be a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Only a physician or other qualified health care professional can provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician on all matters of your personal health. Harvard Medical School, the Patient Education Center, and its affiliates do not endorse any products.
Consulting Physician: Anthony L. Komaroff, MD Editorial Director: Keith D’Oria
Creative Director: Jon Nichol
© Copyright Harvard Medical School.Printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper.
Patient Education Center 2127 Second Avenue North
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Brought to you by: Patient Education Center
& Harvard Medical School
PEC-PC-INC-005
www.patientedu.org
Read this brochure online. Scan the QR code or visit:
www.patientedu.org/incontinence
Urinary Incontinence
Brought to you by Written byHarvard Medical SchoolOther treatments. The sacral nerve at the bottom of your
spine reminds your bladder “not to go” until it is full. Several treatments aim to improve this “hold it” signal in order to relieve overactive bladder. Botox—the same medicine used to treat cosmetic wrinkles—is an option for relaxing a severe overactive bladder. Injections of “bulking agents” can help some forms of stress incontinence by shoring up the outlet muscles.
Surgery. Many procedures for incontinence are now relatively quick and require less recovery time. Often, surgery can be done on an outpatient basis or even in the doctor’s office. The decision to have surgery is a personal one with no right or wrong answer. You may consider surgery if other treatments are unsuccessful or unlikely to help your type of incontinence. Even if you opt for surgery, bladder training and strengthening your pelvic muscles still provide important benefits. They increase the chances that surgery will be successful. If you decide to have surgery, be sure that your surgeon is highly trained and experienced in the procedure you need.
Living with your bladderWhether your bladder control problems are mild or severe, it can be a frustrating problem to deal with. Although you may feel alone, help is available from many sources. Simply getting treatment can greatly improve well-being, even if
symptoms don’t improve much.
A therapist can help you cope with your emotions and the stress of
treatment. And don’t be afraid to tell friends and family. You’d be surprised how many other people—both men and women—have experienced some form of urinary incontinence. A support
group can link you to others who are going through the same experience and can offer practical advice and emotional support.
ResourcesNational Association for ContinenceP.O. Box 1019Charleston, SC 29402800-252-3337 (toll-free) www.nafc.org
American Urological Association1000 Corporate Blvd. Linthicum, MD 21090866-746-4282 (toll-free) www.urologyhealth.org
About This Brochure: This brochure was written by practicing physicians from Harvard Medical School. It is part of a series developed and distributed by the Patient Education Center. All the information in this brochure and on the associated Web site (www.patientedu.org) is intended for educational use only; it is not intended to provide, or be a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Only a physician or other qualified health care professional can provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician on all matters of your personal health. Harvard Medical School, the Patient Education Center, and its affiliates do not endorse any products.
Consulting Physician: Anthony L. Komaroff, MD Editorial Director: Keith D’Oria
Creative Director: Jon Nichol
© Copyright Harvard Medical School.Printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper.
Patient Education Center 2127 Second Avenue North
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Brought to you by: Patient Education Center
& Harvard Medical School
PEC-PC-INC-005