Urine Leakage Health Feed

Urinary Incontinence is the sudden urine loss that occurs involuntarily in women. Some of the factors which cause urinary incontinence are pregnancy, menopause and childbirth. It should be noted that urinary incontinence by itself is not a disease, but is a symptom of other underlying disorders such as diabetes, infections and other conditions.

Causes of temporary cases of urinary incontinence include:

1. Constipation
2. Urinary tract infections
3. Excess consumption of alcohol and caffeine
4. Consuming carbonated drinks
5. Use of artificial sweeteners
6. High doses of vitamin B and vitamin C
7. Being on sedatives, muscle relaxants, blood pressure and heart medications
8. Eatables which are too spicy, acidic or sugary

However, persistence of incontinence might be due to a more serious condition. Some of the causes are stated below:

1. Age: The bladder muscles tend to weaken with age. This affects the bladder’s urine holding capacity.
2. Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and increase in weight during pregnancy can cause incontinence.
3. Menopause: Oestrogen is responsible for the healthy maintenance of the lining of the urethra and bladder. The onset of menopause causes the oestrogen hormone levels to drop. The gradual damage of the bladder tissues causes incontinence.
4. Childbirth: The bladder control muscles are weakened during normal vaginal delivery, thus leading to incontinence.
5. Obstruction: Occurrence of tumours in the urinary tract can block the normal flow of urine which can cause incontinence.
6. Hysterectomy: The same ligaments and muscles support both the bladder as well as the urethra. With removal of the uterus by hysterectomy, the pelvic floor muscles are deteriorated. This leads to urinary incontinence.
7. Neurological disorders: Conditions such as multiple sclerosis (autoimmune disorder in which the immune system destroys the protective sheath of the nerves), Parkinson’s disease (disorder affecting motor functioning of the body), brain tumours, spinal injury or strokes are capable of causing incontinence.

Different forms of urinary incontinence are classified on the basis of their symptoms:

1. Urge incontinence: Urge or urgency incontinence occurs when there is a leak before the person reaches the toilet.
2. Stress incontinence: Small amounts of urine leak out during normal physical movements such as sneezing, coughing and exercising. This happens because of the minimum stress exerted on the body, and hence, the name.
3. Functional incontinence: Sudden leakage of urine occurs due to external deterrents or physical disabilities such as not being able to find a toilet.
4. Overactive Bladder: This is characterized by frequent and urgent urination.
5. Overflow incontinence: A full bladder, at times, leads to unexpected leakage.
6. Transient incontinence: If urine leakage occurs due to temporary situations such as infections, or new medications.

Be it frequent urination, painful urination, or change in color of urine, you must not hesitate to visit a urologist, especially when the symptoms persist for more than two days. Typically, an abnormal urge to urinate is directly affected by any infection in the bladder or due to any underlying medical condition. A urologist who is specialized in the study and treatment of disorders related to the urinary system is the right person to diagnose the problem and put you on the right treatment. Read on to have an insight into symptoms that would necessitate a urologist visit.

Inability to urinate: Many people tend to have calcium depositions in their urinary tract. This is what is known as a stone. When this stone grows big in dimension, it can block the ureters or the urethra. In both these situations, the total urine output reduces to a great extent or can stop completely. The first symptom, in this case, will be an intolerable pain in the back or lower abdomen. This is also a common sign in males with an enlarged prostate.

As the prostate grows in size, it pushes onto the bladder, thus again making it difficult to release urine.

1. Pain in the lower abdomen: Pain in the lower abdomen is also a symptom of various kinds of urinary problems. If the pain is accompanied by urinary frequency or a burning sensation during urination, it inevitably prompts a visit to the urologist to check for bladder cancer or prostate.
2. Blood in urine: Irrespective of the gender of the sufferer, blood in the urine is never a good sign. An immediate visit to the urologist is suggested as he can order tests which can highlight an infection or a disease or in extreme cases, even the early signs of cancer in kidney or bladder.
3. Repeated urinary tract infections: Cases might arise, when a particular person is suffering from two or more infections in a span of 6 months. This situation should never be ignored, and immediately a doctor should be visited as this can be a serious health problem in both men and women. Prophylactic or some antibiotic treatments will be prescribed in this case.
4. Chronic pain in the pelvic region: This is again another urinary condition which can affect both sexes. This condition is characterized by increased frequency of urination and nocturia and pain in the lower abdomen are also reported. Nocturia is severe nighttime urination. The treatment for this condition depends on the reason. A series of tests and examinations have to be carried out to find out the reason, and accordingly, a treatment plan has to be charted out.

Apart from the symptoms mentioned above, if you experience uncontrolled urine leakage or any sediments in urine or if you sense any abnormality concerning the lower abdominal area a urologist visit is warranted. No need to shy away from reporting even such minor discomfort as it could help avoid dire consequences.

Your uterus is held in place by ligaments, tissues and pelvic muscles. The prolapse occurs when the ligaments or muscles weaken, and thus they can no longer support the uterus. The uterus slips or sags from its usual position into the birth canal (vagina).

Uterine prolapse could be complete or incomplete:

• If the uterus partly sags into the vagina, the prolapse is incomplete.
• If the uterus falls, and tissues are found to be resting in the vagina's exterior, the prolapse is termed 'complete'

Type of Prolapse:

1. Cystocele: It is characterized by the herniation (bulging) of the vaginal wall caused by the bladder; it leads to urination problems
2. Enterocele: It is characterized by the bulging on the vaginal wall caused by the bowel; it leads to backache
3. Rectocele: If the rectum pushes into the vaginal wall, it makes movement in bowels difficult

Causes:
Uterine prolapse can be caused by any of the following factors:

• Normal childbirth through the vagina weakens muscles
• Pelvic muscles weaken with age
• Tissues weaken after menopause and oestrogen loss
• Chronic cough, constipation, pelvic tumours or abdominal fluid accumulation puts a lot of pressure on the abdomen leading to prolapse
• Pelvic muscles are stressed if you are obese or overweight
• Major pelvic (or areas around it) surgery leads to loss of muscular support
• Smoking
• Excessive weight lifting causes weakening of muscles

Symptoms:
Symptoms of uterine prolapse depend on its severity. There are no symptoms or signs if you have mild uterine prolapse. But if you have moderate to severe uterine prolapse, you might experience the following symptoms:

1. Sensation of pulling or heaviness in the pelvis
2. Tissue bulges out of your vagina
3. Urinary problems like urine retention or urine leakage
4. Bowel movement difficulties
5. Pain in lower back
6. Sexual problems such as vaginal tissues feeling loose

Symptoms might feel less distressing during the morning, but they worsen at night.

The condition of enlarged prostate occurs due to the enlargement of a man’s prostate gland, with the passage in time. Also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), it is more common in men over the age of 60. Some cases might have symptoms and others may be symptomless. Although the causes are relatively unknown, it is evident that BPH is not a form of cancer, neither does it cause cancer. The prostate is located below the bladder and is responsible for producing the fluid needed by semen. The growth of the prostate tissue that is associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia begins near the inner prostate which is a tissue ring around the urethra. Its growth is generally inward.

Causes
It is of common knowledge that in males, the urine originates from the bladder and flows through the urethra. BPH is a condition where the prostate experiences a benign i.e. non cancerous enlargement which leads to blockage of urine flow through the urethra (the urinary duct). The resultant enlargement, caused due to the gradual multiplication of cells, subjects the urethra to extra pressure. Further narrowing of the urethra causes more contraction of the bladder, resulting in the urine being forcefully pushed out of the body.

With time, the condition leads to the bladder muscles gradually becoming thicker, stronger and oversensitive. Contraction occurs even due to the presence of small amounts of urine, giving rise to frequent needs of urination. At one point, the bladder muscle is unable to overcome the effects of the narrowed urethra. Due to this, urine does not pass properly and the urethra is not emptied.

Some of the common symptoms of enlarged prostate include:

1. Frequent urination
2. Urgency to urinate
3. Difficulty during urination
4. A slow or weak urinary stream
5. Requirement of extra effort to urinate
6. Interrupted sleep due to need of urination

Further risks
Sometimes, when the bladder is not emptied completely, a risk of urinary tract infections develops. Some other serious problems which can be a result of enlarged prostate include blood in urine, bladder stones as well as acute urinary retention (inability to urinate). In some rare cases, kidney and/or bladder damage might also result from such a condition. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!