Tag Archives: urge incontinence

Links for the Incontinence Community

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on March 3, 2016 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

According to the Centers for Disease Control, over half of seniors in the United States are afflicted with incontinence. Of course, it’s not just seniors who experience incontinence. People of all ages can be affected, due to a large number of factors. Whatever the reason you or the person you care for may find for being incontinent, we’d like to help with these great resources for both urinary and fecal incontinence:

Simon Foundation for Continence

The mission of the Simon Foundation is to: “Bring the topic of incontinence out into the open, remove the stigma surrounding incontinence, and provide help and hope to people with incontinence, their families and the health professionals who provide their care.”

National Association for Incontinence

From their About Us: “National Association for Continence is a national, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with incontinence, voiding dysfunction, and related pelvic floor disorders. NAFC’s purpose is to be the leading source for public education and advocacy about the causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatments, and management alternatives for incontinence.”

Urology Care Foundation

“The Urology Care Foundation advances urologic research and education. We work with health care providers, researchers, patients and caregivers to improve patients’ lives. The Urology Care Foundation is the official foundation of the American Urological Association.”

Medline Plus – Urinary Incontinence

This government site has a basic explanation of the condition, resources to learn more, videos, research, and patient handouts.

Health in Aging

This site was created by the American Geriatrics Society’s Health in Aging Foundation, to “provide consumers and caregivers with up-to-date information on health and aging.”

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – Fecal Incontinence Article

“The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) conducts, supports, and coordinates research on many of the most serious diseases affecting public health. The Institute supports clinical research on the diseases of internal medicine and related subspecialty fields, as well as many basic science disciplines.”

Tips for Dealing with Incontinence During the Winter

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on January 13, 2015 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

Originally posted by the Live Confidently team on LiveConfidently.com

With the winter months quickly approaching, many people who experience urge or stress incontinence may notice an uptick in bladder leakage issues. There was never a clear link between incontinence and cold weather until a 2005 study by Whittington Hospital in London found that cold temperatures were a major factor in increased urinary incontinence. The study showed that this could be for two reasons: one, because our bodies don’t sweat out excess moisture during colder months, and two, because cold weather induces bladder muscle overactivity and causes us to feel the urge to go more often.

Whatever the case, there are a few tips you can follow to make sure that you are prepared and ready to take on incontinence when the temperature drops.

Decrease your intake of caffeinated beverages. Coffee and other hot beverages that contain caffeine, like tea and hot chocolate, can stimulate the bladder and also act as a diuretic. It’s best to stick to water or non-caffeinated beverages such as apple cider or peppermint tea.

Use the bathroom before you leave the house. This will ensure that your bladder is empty and will prevent you from having to remove bulky winter layers to use the restroom.

Keep moving and wear a jacket. This will help to keep your body warm and your bladder muscles from tensing up.

Find the right protection. For a true sense of ease, it’s best to find the right incontinence products for your specific needs. If you’re not sure where to start, our Incontinence Product Selector is a helpful tool that can guide you in the right direction.

Do you have any tips to add? Head over to our living with incontinence forum to discuss this topic with people just like you!

Exercise and Incontinence

Posted by Jeanne Lowry on October 2, 2014 under BladderMatters | Be the First to Comment

There’s no need for any type of incontinence to stop anyone from exercising. Maintaining your health is more important than any worries you may have about any of your fellow athletes discovering you’re even occasionally incontinent. But with the right preparation and products, no one need know anyway.

Stress incontinence can occur during running, working out on NordicTrack-like machines or exercising on stairs. When the pelvic floor is not up to holding in urine, it can leak when pressure is put upon it. To prepare for this, be sure to empty your bladder before starting a workout. And when you take a break half an hour in, use that time to head to the bathroom as well. You can also purchase incontinence products for the sole purpose of using them during exercise. Many of these products are discreet enough to wear under regular workout clothes, or if you’re feeling self-conscious, sweatpants are an option.

Frequent restroom visits will not help the issue if you’re experiencing urge incontinence. In this case, you’re likely on a schedule for when to use the restroom. But there are more ways to keep bladder leakage to a minimum while working out. Make sure you drink only water before and during your workout. Caffeinated drinks can irritate the bladder and make the urge to use the restroom worse. Additionally, sports drinks are often made with citrus components, which, again, can irritate the bladder.

When exercising the rest of your body, don’t forget about Kegels. These exercises work out the pelvic floor muscles and they’re important in the fight against incontinence. You can read more about Kegels for women and men, and more about the different types of incontinence. Have a great workout!

Types Of Incontinence

Posted by Brooke Phillips on November 18, 2013 under BladderMatters | 2 Comments to Read

Incontinence is a life-altering condition that affects more than 25 million people in the United States. People with incontinence suffer from partial or complete loss of bladder and/or bowel control. Incontinence is frequently caused by other medical issues, such as bladder or bowel infections, Spina Bifida, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injury, surgery, childbirth and much more. It can also result from certain medications.

In order to gain control and better manage incontinence, it can be helpful to understand why it happens. Incontinence can be divided into the following categories, or types:

Urge Incontinence (overactive bladder): A bladder muscle contraction gives the sudden, intense urge to urinate, followed by involuntary urination (sometimes with only a few seconds’ warning). Urge incontinence can be caused by urinary tract infections, bladder or bowel infections, strokes, blood clots, brain injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and more.

Stress Incontinence: A weakened sphincter muscle causes involuntary urine leakage when the bladder is “stressed” by coughing, laughing, sneezing, exercising or lifting a heavy weight. Stress incontinence can be caused by childbirth, menopause, UTIs, urological sugery, prostate surgery, radiation, or simply aging.

Overflow Incontinence: A bladder that is unable to be completely emptied, leading to a constantly full bladder from which urine frequently overflows. Overflow incontinence can be caused by an obstruction in the bladder or urethra, prostate gland problems, bladder damage, or nerve damage from diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis or spinal cord injury.

Functional Incontinence: The urinary system functions normally, but for other reasons (physical, mental) the individual can’t make it to the bathroom in time. Functional incontinence can be caused by severe arthritis, muscle weakness, injury, Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression and more.

Iatrogenic Incontinence: Incontinence as a side-effect of certain drugs. Drugs that can cause iatrogenic incontinence include some muscle relaxants, nervous system blockers, and antihistamines.

Mixed Incontinence: Symptoms of one or more types of incontinence, such as stress incontinence and urge incontinence

Total Incontinence: Not a category type, but a term that refers to complete loss of urinary control. Symptoms include continuous passing of urine, both day and night.

Some types of incontinence are permanent, while others may be treatable or even curable. Your doctor will determine the best treatment options for you, depending on its type, severity and underlying cause. Learn more about the many treatment options for incontinence.

For more information about bladder health, visit the Total Home Care Supplies Bladder Matters Community or the National Association for Continence. To shop for incontinence products, visit TotalHomeCareSupplies.com.