Urinary incontinence is approximately twice as common in women as in men. Although this complaint is not a life-threatening condition, it seriously impairs the quality of life. Think about it; You climb 3 flights of stairs and tighten your abdominal muscles so much to hold back urine that you feel muscle pain; After a while, coughing and sneezing become something that should not be done in public; You go shopping and you have to go to the toilet 3 times in 1 hour... Many stories like these...
As the population of elderly women increases, urinary incontinence emerges as a serious problem. It is a problem that affects almost 50% of women. However, up to 2/3 of these women do not seek solutions, mainly due to social shyness or because they are unaware that they can get help for this issue.
What are the causes and risk factors of urinary incontinence?
• Advancing Age : As menopause occurs and as age progresses and the estrogen hormone decreases, the supporting tissues in the pelvis that hold the bladder and uterus in place weaken and urinary incontinence increases.
• Birth: Multiple births, large babies, Reasons such as the use of vacuum during birth are often found in women with urinary incontinence.
• Being Overweight, Obesity: Intra-abdominal pressure increases and urinary incontinence occurs more frequently in overweight people.
• Hereditary Causes: Some women's support tissues and ligaments are weak since birth and they are prone to urinary incontinence.
• Constipation: Straining weakens the support tissues.
• Smoking: Urinary incontinence is more common in smokers.
• Chronic Diseases: Asthma, bronchiolitis. Heist, diabetes, muscle diseases and accidental trauma to the spine are risk factors.
Nowadays, treatments for urinary incontinence are possible with medication and surgical methods. The type of treatment varies depending on the type of urinary incontinence. There are basically 3 types of incontinence:
Stress incontinence: Leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects.
URGE incontinence: Urine with the urgent need to urinate. incontinence.
Mixed incontinence: The type where both occur together.
Stress Incontinence: With effort. or involuntary urinary leakage due to physical exertion, sneezing or coughing. In cases that increase intra-abdominal pressure, urinary incontinence occurs when this increased pressure is not transmitted to the urethra appropriately.
Reasons:
-obesity
-previous anamnesis of pregnancy and difficult birth
-previous surgical operations
Patients are asked to come for examination with a full bladder, if possible. It is tested whether the patient leaks urine with coughing and straining. Afterwards, the patient is subjected to a gynecological examination and checked for sagging in the bladder, vagina and neighboring organs. Meanwhile, the patient's pelvic floor muscles, which enable urine retention, are also evaluated.
Non-surgical methods in treatment:
Dietary measures may be a changeable factor. Reducing the consumption of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, fluid restriction in patients who will not have health-related problems, pelvic floor muscle exercises, weight loss in patients with overweight problems, teaching KEGEL exercises and laser treatment...
LASER TREATMENT: 2 sessions with a maximum of 1 month intervals are sufficient.
If severe urinary incontinence is accompanied by severe bladder prolapse, then surgical treatment should be considered. There are many surgical methods described on this subject. Which method is suitable for the patient is determined by the doctor as a result of examination and a number of tests.
URGE Incontinence: It is a complaint of involuntary urinary leakage with urgent urgency. The patient may have complaints of frequent urination and nocturnal urinary incontinence. over 65 years old It is a condition seen in almost 38% of women.
Behavioral therapy; Creating a urination schedule for the patient at certain intervals, timed urination, is a kind of bladder retraining. Pelvic floor exercises are also helpful in the treatment of this type of urinary incontinence.
Mixed Incontinence: This is the type where both stress and urge urinary incontinence occur together. Patients may show symptoms of both types. The treatment plan should be made according to the patient's worst symptom. Whichever symptom affects the patient's life more, priority should be given to the treatment of that symptom.
Please do not let an easily treatable problem such as urinary incontinence darken your life...
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