Urinary Incontinence
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine at inopportune times and places, and which can be demonstrated and becomes a hygienic and social problem for people suffering from it.
Who does it affect?
It is estimated that around half a million to a million women suffer from this problem in Spain alone. Only a small proportion of these women seek medical advice.
Even though from a medical point of view this is not a serious problem and not a risk for mortality, it has important social repercussions and may effect the patient's self-esteem, causing devastating effects on the health and well-being of the women suffering from it (depression, social marginalization). The aspects of daily life most affected by this is sleep and rest, mobility, emotional behaviour, social interaction and leisure activities.
Age is the key factor associated with urinary incontinence, with the highest rates between 50 and 60 years old. Several additional risk factors have also been identified: Obstetric-gynaecological (pregnancy, giving birth, pelvic organ prolapse, hysterectomy), general illnesses (obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure treated with diuretics, nervous system diseases) and environmental and occupational factors.
Types of incontinence:
Stress incontinence: When urine leaks upon coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, lifting heavy objects...
Urge incontinence: The involuntary leaking of urine along with a strong urge to urinate.
Mixed: Combination of the previous two.
How is it diagnosed?
A proper and extensive medical history with questions aimed at obtaining information from the female patient, followed by a physical and complementary tests. (analyses, imaging techniques, specialised urological tests…)
Treatments:
Each type of incontinence requires a specified treatment, making a specialist's individualised tests and evaluations important.
Functional treatment: Fundamentally the rehabilitation of the pelvic floor.
Medical treatment: Hygenic-nutritional measures, behaviour modification techniques and medications.
Surgical treatment: This is the treatment of choice for stress urinary incontinence. There are various surgical techniques. The most often used is performed through the vagina by placing pressure free “bands" around the urethra.
|
