Gotta Go Right Now- When Urinary Incontinence Happens

Urinary incontinence is a common issue that many aging adults face.

Urinary incontinence occurs when you are not able to keep urine from leaking out of your urethra, the tube that carries urine out of your body from your bladder. This is often a problem with older individuals. You may occasionally leak urine or you may not be able to hold any urine. There are different types, causes and treatments for incontinence that you may not be aware of.

There are five types of urinary incontinence:

• Stress incontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence and happens when a person leaks urine when they cough, sneeze, exercise or do anything that puts pressure on the bladder.
• Urge incontinence occurs when the bladder muscles are too active. People with urge incontinence lose urine as soon as they feel a strong desire to go to the bathroom.
• Overflow incontinence is the feeling of never completely emptying the bladder.
• Mixed incontinence is the combination of stress and urge incontinence.
• Functional or environmental incontinence occurs when people cannot get to the toilet or get a bedpan when they need it. The urinary system may work well, but physical or psychological disabilities prevent normal toilet usage.

Urinary incontinence can be caused by temporary problems, such as urinary tract infection, vaginal infection, constipation, obesity, smoking, high-impact aerobics or effects of medicine. Incontinence can also be caused by other permanent conditions, such as:

• Aging (bladder holds less and urine stream may be weaker)
• Weakness of bladder
• Hormone imbalance in women
• Immobility
• Diabetes

If you think you may have urinary incontinence, contact your doctor. Some questions to ask could be:

• What type of incontinence is it?
• What is causing it?
• What are treatment options?
• How can the bladder be strengthened?

Omni Medical has a selection of equipment and supplies for individuals with age-related health issues, spinal cord injuries, or those recovering from surgery. This includes incontinence products! We want to help you find the best products that fit your lifestyle.