Loss Of Bladder Control
Stress test, urinalysis, blood tests, ultra sounds and urodyamics are a few ways of finding the causes for the loss of bladder control. In today's stressful environment, problems relating to loss of bladder control seem to be on the rise. It is said that more than 13 million people in the United States suffer from bladder control issues.
Urinary incontinence, which is the medical term for the loss of bladder control, is the inability to hold one's urine until one gets to a toilet. Let's look into how this incontinence affects women. Bladder issues affect women of all ages, but it is more prevalent in older women. Up to 35% women over 60 years of age are affected by loss of bladder control. Yet it is not just women who are around this age that are affected by bladder control problems. It has been found that women of all ages have urinary leakage issues. Some of the causes for the loss of bladder control in women are weak muscles due to child birth / pregnancy, some women leak when they exercise or cough or even laugh hard. Women who have come to the end of their menopause also tend to have loss of bladder control.
In men, loss of bladder control may start at an early age. Bedwetting is more common among boys than in girls. Reasons for loss of bladder control in men are many. Men who have diabetes are known to lose control of their bladders, because they develop nerve damage which in turn affects their bladder control. Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis which affect the brain and the nervous system also causes loss of bladder control. Overactive bladders also lead to urinary incontinence. These reasons are also common to women.
Medication that one takes, or alcohol and caffeine also causes loss of bladder control in both women and men. These factors may cause the body to relax, yet the signals from the brain to the bladder can be interrupted, thereby leading to leakage. Being overweight also contributes towards this problem.
Prostrate problems are also another cause for the loss of bladder control in men. The prostrate is a walnut shaped gland which surrounds the urethra, just below the bladder. This little walnut gland expands as men grow older. This enlargement causes it to press against the urethra causing hesitant, interrupted, leaking and dribbling, especially in the nights.
Loss of bladder control can be treated. The Kegel exercises are well-known and an option that many take on. Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic muscles without the need for any equipment. One can do these exercises anywhere at any time. The trick in this exercise is finding the right muscle to squeeze. These muscles are called the sphincter muscles. If one manages to strengthen these muscles it would help to stop the bladder spasms that cause incontinence. Weight loss, change in one's diet can also help control the bladder. In the worst of circumstances, surgery may be the only solution.