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How is Urinary Incontinence Treated?
The various options of urinary incontinence treatment include behavioral treatment, medications and surgery. In the treatment of urinary incontinence, the least invasive method of treatment is first applied.
The choice of the treatment option depends on the particular cause of the incontinence. However, there are some treatment options that can be applied to more than one type of urinary incontinence, such as using absorbent products. Absorbent pads and urinary catheters are used by patients who have a prolonged incontinence problem.
Dietary Measures
Sometimes, changes in diet improve the symptoms of urinary incontinence. Diet needs to be monitored to lessen the intake of food and drinks containing stimulants. Stimulants can cause symptoms of urgent and frequent urination.
The foods that need to be avoided include:
Hot spices like chili pepper, cayenne pepper, curry, dry mustard, etc.
Citrus fruits like grapes, lemons, oranges, etc.
Chocolate containing food and sweets, as they contain caffeine
The drinks that need to be avoided include:
Drinks containing caffeine, like coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cola, etc
Carbonated drinks, citrus fruit juices, acidic juices
Drinks that contain artificial sweeteners
Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are helpful in treating stress incontinence. Muscles controlling the urinary bladder are strengthened with Kegel exercises. These exercises can be done at any time and in any place.
Kegel exercises are designed for women, however, men can also derive befits from these exercises.
Improvements may be noticed after doing Kegel exercises for three to six months.
Bladder Training
Urge incontinence can be treated by using bladder training. Patients can urinate at fixed intervals, for instance every 30 minutes to 2 hours. Patients should urinate in the set intervals even if they do not feel the urge to go. Gradually, the time between the intervals can be increased until the patient reaches an interval of 3 to 4 hours.
Relaxation techniques can be applied when the patient feels the urge to urinate. The patient can use some breathing exercises until the urge goes away. Then, when the urge passes, the patient can wait for about 5 minutes and then urinate even if there is no urge. This will help the patient in controlling the next urge. When the patient finds it possible to easily wait for 5 minutes after an urge has gone, the patient can try and wait for longer periods. Duration of bladder training is 3 to 12 weeks.
Biofeedback Therapy
Biofeedback therapy helps in treating stress incontinence, urge incontinence and mix incontinence. If patients find it difficult to identify the levator ani muscles, biofeedback therapy is recommended. A computer and electronic instruments help in identifying the contractions of the pelvic muscles.
Urethral Occlusive Devices
Male and females have different occlusive devices. For female patients, the devices are artificial implements, which can be inserted inside the urethra or over the opening of the urethra that stops the leakage of urine. For male patients, the devices are clamps that contract the penis and reduce the amount of urine that leaks. It may be used in cases of severe incontinence.
Medication
Some types of urinary incontinence are treated with medications. The doctor should be consulted before taking any medication. Estrogen creams that can be applied by female patient are helpful in treating mild stress incontinence. Male patients may take medicines which help in reducing the prostate size and improving urine flow through the prostate.
The types of drugs used in the treatment of urinary incontinence include:
antispasmodic drugs
anticholinergic drugs
tricylic antidepressant agents
Patients should not use anticholinergic drugs if they have serious heart diseases, narrow-angle glaucoma, myasthenia gravis, ulcerative colitis, bowel obstruction and urinary retention.
Patients should avoid taking anticholinergic drugs with sedative, alcohol or hypnotic drugs.
Surgery
Surgery is rarely performed as a treatment, unless all available treatment options have failed to treat urinary incontinence. It may be helpful in treating stress incontinence in female patients and overflow incontinence due to prostate enlargement in male patients.
Surgeries for urinary incontinence treatment include:
Anterior Vaginal Repair
Bladder Neck Suspension
Sling Procedure
Bulking Agent/Collagen Injection
Artificial Urinary Sphincter
About Urinary Incontinence Treatment
Key facts to plan your treatment: how long it takes, your hospital stay, anaesthesia, risks and recovery.
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