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Following are the various types of incontinence, including
overactive bladder (OAB),
and how they work:
- Urge. “When I have to go, I have to go…” This
is the symptom most closely associated with OAB. It refers
to an urgent need to urinate
combined with the inability to get to the bathroom in time. Urge incontinence
occurs when nerve connections from the bladder to the brain are damaged,
causing the bladder to contract. Such medical conditions as stroke, multiple
sclerosis, senile dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease can cause the
condition. However, OAB symptoms can also be experienced in otherwise healthy
individuals. It affects approximately 17% of females. Those with 1-2 births
are 50% more at risk while those with three or more births have twice the
risk of women who have never given birth. OAB symptoms include urinary
frequency (the need to urinate more than eight times during a 24-hour period),
urgency (a sudden, compelling desire to urinate), urge urinary incontinence
(urine leakage preceded or accompanied by urgency), and nocturia or nocturnal
enuresis (waking up during the night to urinate or incontinence that occurs
while you are asleep).
- Stress. This condition occurs
when the sphincter or pelvic muscles become damaged.
It is accidental leakage of urine during a variety of
physical movements that
put pressure on the bladder, including exercise, coughing, sneezing, or vigorous
laughing. Most (up to 65%) of women with this condition reported that their
symptoms first began during pregnancy, and 14% said symptoms
occurred during the postpartum period. Women 30 to 45
years of age who also had a previous vaginal childbirth
are at a 2-5 times increased risk of developing the symptoms of stress incontinence.
- Mixed. A combination of stress
and urge incontinence.
- Functional. People with this
condition may have problems thinking, moving, or
communicating that prevent them from reaching a toilet
in time. This may include people in a wheelchair, those
with Alzheimer’s
disease, and some elderly persons in nursing homes.
- Overflow. Leakage
when the amount of urine produced exceeds the capacity
of the bladder to hold it. Such conditions as diabetes,
pelvic trauma, pelvic surgery, spinal cord injuries,
multiple sclerosis, or polio can cause it.
- Reflex. Loss
of urine when the person is unaware of it. It could
result from an abnormal opening between the bladder
and another structure
as well as from a leak in the bladder, urethra, or ureter.
The condition could be congenital or may be caused
by an injury, gynecological surgery, cancer, or radiation
therapy.
There is also incontinence
caused by various surgical procedures, including hysterectomies,
caesarean sections, and lower intestinal or rectal
surgery. Some men may suffer from the condition following
a prostatectomy.
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