Incontinence is the inability to control your bowels or bladder. Urinary incontinence is sometimes referred to as an overactive bladder. There are different forms of urinary incontinence that can range from mild to severe. You may experience a constant need to urinate even when your bladder is empty. You may leak urine when you strain, sneeze, cough or laugh. Fecal incontinence occurs when you leak bowel movements. Both of these conditions can be stressful and interfere with your social life. Part of your treatment plan is to understand the causes of incontinence. Then talk with your doctor about the many treatment options available.
Weak Muscles
Urinary incontinence is not a normal part of aging and it should be discussed with your doctor, states the National Institutes of Aging. If your bladder muscles are strong they are able to contain the urine until you are ready to go. When you urinate the muscles both contract and relax to allow the urine to flow into a tube-like structure called the urethra, so it can be excreted from the body. If these muscles do not tighten or relax properly you can leak urine. In the case of fecal incontinence it is the external and internal anal muscles that need to contract to hold in your bowel movements. To help manage this condition there are exercises called Kegels which help you to retrain and strengthen the muscles that control your bladder and bowel movements.
Menopause and Enlarged Prostate
According to the American Urological Association, sometimes the cause of incontinence remains unknown. However it is important to see your doctor if you urinate more than eight times in a 24-hour period, experience strong urges to urinate and have trouble making it to the bathroom in time. These symptoms can be the result of an enlarged prostate in men. This gland is located at the neck of the bladder where urine exits. If it becomes enlarged it can place pressure on the bladder and urethra and interfere with bladder function. In women menopause can contribute to this symptom. Estrogen is necessary to keep the bladder muscles working correctly. As a woman enters menopause and estrogen levels decline, incontinence may occur.
Neurological and Other Medical Conditions
The American Urogynecologic Society states that any condition that interferes with nervous signals getting to your bladder and bowels can cause incontinence. This includes Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, severe arthritis and damage to the spinal column. If you have a condition that causes chronic constipation or diarrhea you are at a higher risk of developing fecal incontinence. Constipation or diarrhea can overstretch and weaken the muscles that control the bowels. In women the muscles that control the bladder and bowels can also be damaged or overstretched during delivery.
Surgery and Cancer
If you have had rectal surgery or radiation treatment for cancer, the muscles that hold your bowel movements in may no longer function correctly. Both of these situations can cause scarring and inhibit the rectum from stretching. When the rectum cannot expand correctly it can no longer contain your bowel movements which can lead to leaking.
References
- National Institutes of Aging: Urinary Incontinence
- Mayo Clinic: Fecal Incontinence Causes
- American Urological Association: Causes and Natural History of Bladder Control Problems
- American Urogynecologic Society: Bladder Control Problems
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Fecal Incontinence
