Frequent urination may be problematic to your bladder. Just like any
other muscle of the body, the bladder must be strong and toned and this
is done by exercise. The normal functions of the bladder mean it will
be contracting as urine is eliminated and stretched as urine fills the
bladder. If the bladder never gets a chance to fill completely with urine
before it is eliminated, the muscle will not get the exercise it needs
and will be weakened. If this continues over a period of time the bladder
will loose its normal strength and tone and therefore will not be strong
enough to retain a normal amount of urine.
Urinary incontinence is not a disease, but it is a symptom. Properly diagnosing is a must in order to put the most beneficial treatment in place. To get an accurate diagnosis of any urinary incontinence, the doctor will sometimes order urine, bladder and blood tests along with his exam which will include numerous questions.
Knowing that the doctor will be asking a lot of questions, it is best to be prepared with a comprehensive history of any medications being taken, the liquids and the amounts of intake each day, any surgeries or illnesses in past history, frequencies of urination, and if any accidents or leakage happen a detailed list of how much and when this happens.
Skin problems may arise because of the wetness caused from urinary
incontinence. It will be helpful to spend more time cleaning with
a washcloth and then dry thoroughly as needed. To eliminate any oder from
leaking urine, using deodorizing tablets, powders and moisturizers will
help with a feeling of being clean. There are also products on the market
that will offer protection against moisture like cocoa butter or petroleum
jelly.
The body does have defenses that fight infections of the bladder so over
use of products may interfere with the natural process. Another thing
that may interfere with the body's natural defenses is douching or washing
too often. Just keep the skin dry and clean to help defend against infection
and allow the body to work its natural defenses.
A healthy bladder requires the pelvic floor muscles, the urethra, and the sphincters to be operating properly.
The bladder is actually a muscle that is similar to a balloon because it is hollow and expands and contracts. If you look in back of the pelvic bone and under the belly button you will find the bladder. It takes about 2 cups or 1 pint for the bladder to be full of urine. In the wall of the bladder there are smooth and thick muscles called a detrusor. This muscle will both enlarge and then will relax as urine fills and leaves the bladder. It also will tighten back up when the bladder is emptied.
A thin tube connects the bladder to the outside of the body that is called the urethra. Men have about eight inches of urethra tubing while women have only about one and one half inches of tubing. The front side of the vagina in adult females is where the urethra is found. The meatus is the name for the urethra at its opening and this is found in between the vaginal opening and the clitoris.
There are many choices for urinary incontinence control devices that are available today. Your doctor may choose to implement either pessaries or urethral plugs. Both of these devices will reinforce the uterus, urethra and the bladder.
Using Urethral Plugs addresses the most frequent incontinence issue for womens, stress incontinence, where the bladder neck and the weakened urethral muscles are supported. The problem is that these muscles are not strong enough to contain enough urine in the bladder. The urethral insert or plug can correct this problem by preventing leakage.
There are certain irritants that will increase the problems
of urinary incontinence. Alcohol consumption can be the cause
of nerves failing. Taking a diuretic, like water pills, will actually
make the body draw liquids from swollen parts of the body to send to the
bladder. When this happens, the bladder fills up fast and causes problems
with controlling this extra fluid. The consumption of drinks like colas
and coffee with a lot of caffeine or eating foods with caffeine like chocolate
will be problematic for proper bladder control.
Medications can be a corrective help for bladder
control. They are usually prescribed along with some kind
of therapeutic program. The most common medications that are prescribed
for an overactive bladder or for urge incontinence are antispasmodic drugs.
Prevention of the eventuality of developing
urinary incontinence is just not always possible. Taking the following
steps may give you the ability to diminish the onset of a loss of bladder
control.
Obesity can be a contributing factor to a risk of loosing bladder control.
Obviously working on having a healthy body and keeping excess weight off
will be a first positive step to prevention.
Smoking is very bad for your health and will be a possible reason for
urinary incontinence so get help quitting if you are a smoker.
At the bottom area of the pelvis there are muscles called pelvic floor muscles. These are the muscles that reinforce the bladder. When the pelvic floor muscles restrict the urine is prevented from leakage even when physical activities are causing bladder to be under pressure.
There are several methods to use to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. There is vaginal cones, biofeedback, electrical stimulation and Kegel exercises.
To start an exercise program that will rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles, the first step is doing Kegel exercises. These are a series of exercises that merely contract the muscles and then relax, and then repeat regular intervals. The best times and instructions to do this properly should be given by a professional health care physician. A continued routine of doing this exercise once it has been mastered is necessary for continued rehabilitation.
Specialized testing comes into play after the common tests and the exams
revealed a need for a more in-depth testing procedure. Then the specialist
is called in who deals with urinary disorders, the urologist. For female
adult patients, the doctor will be a urogynecologist. While at the office
of the specialist, more advanced testing will be performed.
The specialist will need to decide if the problem lies in evacuating the
bladder. This procedure is called Postvoid residual (PVR) measurement.
How it works is after you empty your bladder into a container that is
like a funnel, your specialist is able to measure the output of the urine.
Then the urine that is left is measured by the use of a thin tube, a catheter,
that is put into the bladder to get any urine that may be left. Sometimes
an ultrasound is used which is a devise that is like a wand that is run
over the abdomen. Sound waves are picked up through area of the pelvis.
A readout shows on a computer screen with a picture of your bladder. The
specialist can then determine if the bladder is empty or full. If there
is a significant volume of urine remaining in your bladder it will indicate
a problem with the muscles or the nerves of your bladder due to some kind
of obstruction.
There are three kinds of chronic incontinence that will be discussed
in detail. These are Overflow incontinence, Stress incontinence, and Overactive
bladder.
The first kind of chronic incontinence to be discussed is the Overactive
Bladder. This is a condition of the bladder that is also referred to as
Urge incontinence and it commonly affects mature individuals. Frequent
urination or when the need to urinate is urgent, whether the bladder is
filled or not, is considered an overactive bladder condition. Individuals
with this condition find it difficult to make it to the bathroom before
leaking occurs because the urge is so intense.