Incontinence
- Involuntary loss of urine
- More common in women than men
- Incontinence could be due to bladder or sphincter problem
Types of incontinence
- Stress incontinence
- Urge incontinence
- Mixed
- Overflow incontinence
- Functional incontinence
Incontinence
- Restricts your activity
- Limits social interaction
- Effects quality of life
- Increases risk of fall
- May indicate serious medical condition
Prevention
- Maintain body weight
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Avoid bladder irritants like alcohol, caffeine
- Stop smoking
- Eat healthy
- Avoid constipation
Treatment for Incontinence
- Life style modification
- Reduce obesity
- Bladder retraining
- Pelvic floor exercises (Kegel Exercises)
- Medication
- Urethral bulking agents
- Slings
- AUS (Artificial Urinary Sphincter)
Pelvic Floor Muscles
- Pelvic floor muscles is essential for
- Continence of urine
- Continence of bowel
- Prevent pelvic organ prolapse
- Sexual function
- Pelvic floor muscles are weakened by
- Pregnancy
- Overweight
- Prostate cancer surgery
- Chronic straining
Kegel Exercises
- Kegel exercises strengthen pelvic floor muscles
- Pelvic floor muscles support bladder, uterus, small intestine & rectum
- Start with the understanding of Kegel exercise
- It is important that you perform the exercises correctly
- Check with your physiotherapist/doctor/nurse specialist
- It may take weeks before you see some improvement
Artificial urinary sphincter (AUS)
- AUS is gold standard in treatment of urinary incontinence
- It replaces the natural urinary sphincter
- Urologist places the AUS by a surgery
- It has 3 parts, cuff, Reservoir and a pump
- Squeezing the pump in the scrotum allow urination
- Usually last for about 10 years
