Female Incontinence
The involuntary loss of urine is known as Female Incontinence. It can be so discreet that the affected person tolerates it without even consulting the doctor, or intense enough to require the use of compressors or soaps.
This problem has an impact on the patient’s social life, which can avoid any social relationship due to the fear of being discovered by the smell of urine, something that causes stress or anxiety to depression.
Signs and Symptoms
The primary symptom of urinary incontinence, and the one that defines this problem is the involuntary loss of urine. It can happen while coughing, sneezing, having sex or making some physical effort. Depending on the type of incontinence, the loss of urine will be more significant or lesser.
In some cases, it can be accompanied by pain and urine infections that recur frequently.
Causes
- Urethra with greater mobility
- Urethral sphincter injuries
- Neurological injuries
- Local inflammations
Risk Factors for Urinary Incontinence
- Vaginal birth
- menopause
- had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus, entirely or partially).
- Other risk factors for urinary incontinence, affecting both sexes, are advanced age, obesity, constipation, reduced mobility, certain diseases such as diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease, or taking diuretic drugs.
Diagnosis
- Urinalysis and a urological or ggynaecologicalstudy
- Endoscopy
- Urethrocystography
- intravenous pyelography
Treatment and Management
- Anticholinergic drugs that favor urinary retention are used: oxybutynin, propantheline, and flavoxate. These medications may have some adverse effects such as confusion, agitation, dry mouth, and hypotension. Electrical stimulation is another option with better and better results.
- If the urinary tract is obstructed by the prostate, it should be surgically removed. In women, repeated urethral dilatations are performed. Pharmacological treatment is not usually effective. In cases in which the detrusor muscle of the bladder is not functional, the only possible treatment is bladder catheterization.
- The training of the pelvic muscles improves this type of incontinence in 60% of cases. These exercises must be done several times a day, and it must be taken into account that it can take between two and nine months until the results begin to be seen.