The facts you don't know about urinary incontinence in men and women

Every March 14, the international day of urinary incontinence is celebrated worldwide, a disorder of our health that silently affects millions of men and women around the world. Friend, in this article we want to share some information that you probably do not know and also what to do if it is your case, and even if it is the man who suffers from it.

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine without control of the filling and emptying of the urinary bladder, sometimes accompanied by a strong desire to urinate.

What are the causes of urinary incontinence?

You should keep in mind that urinary incontinence is a pathology that affects both men and women. It is closely related to age - although it is not a stigma of older people, in fact many young people can suffer from it - and it is due to multiple causes. It is a pathology that significantly impacts the quality of life of patients.

Age, pregnancy and childbirth, and obesity, among other causes, can cause urinary incontinence in women.

In men, the most common cause is stress incontinence as a sequel after surgery.

Depending on the type of incontinence, it can have different causes:

• Effort , coinciding with physical activity, coughing, sneezing or laughing, which represents 25% of cases.
• Urgently , it is a loss of urine associated with an irrepressible desire to urinate, which represents 20% of cases.
• Mixed , in which symptoms of the two previous ones are associated and which is the most frequent type. It is produced by age, pregnancies and childbirth, menopause, functional and cognitive deterioration, and other factors such as surgical interventions, obesity, certain types of physical exercises, etc.

The types of urinary incontinence are:

• Continuous or total urinary incontinence , which is the constant loss of urine.
• Stress urinary incontinence , in which sudden loss of urine occurs when performing any activity that determines an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (physical exercise, coughing, sneezing, etc.).
  
  This type of urinary incontinence is the most frequent in women , especially in those who have had multiple pregnancies and vaginal deliveries and whose bladder, urethra, or rectal wall protrudes into the vagina (pelvic prolapse). It can also occur in men who have undergone prostate surgery.
  
  
• Urge-incontinence characterized by the sudden leakage of urine preceded by an intense desire to urinate. It is usually caused by an increase in the contraction capacity of the urinary bladder muscles and may be related to neurological diseases and injuries.
  
  
• Overflow or paradoxical incontinence , which occurs in patients with obstructive processes in the lower urinary tract, which determine chronic urinary retention (incomplete emptying of the bladder) but which causes involuntary loss of urine.

How can urinary incontinence be treated?

As we have always said, it is not normal for urine to leak . Incontinence has a solution if it is treated on time.

It is not normal for urine to leak . Even when the losses are very slight or very sporadic, it is a sign that something is failing: it is already incontinence. If not remedied, the problem will worsen over time.

For this reason, friend, with the appearance of the first symptoms you should see your doctor , who will determine the most effective solution for each patient. Your family doctor, your pelvic floor specialist or physiotherapist will be able to assess your problem and guide you towards the most feasible solution for you.

These are the possible treatments that can be applied when there is urinary incontinence:

Conservative treatment

The first therapeutic step is made up of hygienic-dietary measures, behavior modification techniques and muscular rehabilitation of the pelvic floor or pelvic floor.

What does the pelvic floor do?

The muscles of the pelvic floor provide support to the organs located in it:

• They support sphincter control : They give us conscious control over the bladder and bowel so that we can control the release of urine, feces, and flatulence. By relaxing the pelvic floor you make way for urine and feces.
• Support sexual function: In women, voluntary pelvic floor contractions contribute to sexual sensation and arousal.
• They help during pregnancy: providing support to the baby and collaborating during the birth process.
• They support our organs: They work with the abdominal and back muscles to stabilize and support the spine and give support to all the organs in the pelvis and lower abdomen.

A conservative treatment often begins with the recommendation to follow a physical therapy routine through bladder training and the practice of Kegel exercises. Which easily help you exercise and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, helping to prevent urinary incontinence or improve unwanted leaks.

From TuSaludIntima de Zenzsual, we help you to perform Kegel exercises correctly, with the VagiYoga™ pelvic floor rehabilitation guide , which takes you easily from: how to discover your pelvic floor, how to contract, issuing a diagnosis of strength , and finally, it takes you through four levels of challenges, so that in a fun way, you can tone and rehabilitate the entire area. The positive reinforcement that you get from seeing how you are doing it makes a big difference in terms of the results and effectiveness of the exercises.

It's a quick way to check if you're really contracting the right muscles, with the necessary force and keeping track of your progress, in the comfort of your home. If you want to prevent incontinence or improve its symptoms, search for VagiYoga here today.

Pharmacotherapy

Medication indicated above all in urge and stress incontinence.

surgical treatment

Minimally invasive surgery for patients in whom conservative and pharmacological treatments have not been effective.

Due to its effectiveness in about 90% of cases , the procedure for placing tension-free transvaginal transobturator mesh (TOT) stands out, which is inserted through a small vaginal incision. It is a tape, usually polypropylene. Being porous, it is fixed and integrated into the body.

The operation lasts about 25 minutes and is usually performed under epidural anesthesia, although it can also be performed under local anesthesia. It is a simple and minimally invasive intervention, which facilitates the rapid recovery of the patient at home.

Incontinence stops when the mesh is placed, although it is recommended to avoid great efforts during the first month after the intervention.

Sometimes, there is associated pelvic organ prolapse, performing laparoscopic or robotic correction (colposacropexy).

Can I avoid getting to surgery?

Since the most frequent cause of the appearance of urine losses is the weakening of the pelvic floor , its training has been widely studied and has been shown to improve or solve more than 80% of cases when Urinary Incontinence is mild or moderate. This is why at TuSaludIntima we have created VagiYoga.

Carrying out Kegel Exercises is very effective and can even solve Urinary Incontinence in many cases, without surgery, if it is treated on time. Another very interesting aspect to take into account, and which has also been shown in various scientific studies, is that the efficacy is greater and the therapy is more decisive and is maintained over time when the treatment is guided and supervised by your doctor or physiotherapist. specialized.

In the case of men, we share some facts about urinary incontinence that you may not know...

1. Urinary incontinence affects 400 million people worldwide: if all of them decided to come together in one region, only China and India would have more inhabitants. For example, in Spain there are 6.5 million affected.
2. One in four men over the age of 40 experience urine leakage.
3. 50% of those affected by incontinence rest worse , since this pathology forces them to get up at night to urinate. Furthermore, 45% admit that it interferes with their sexual life, while 20% state that the performance of their work is affected.
4. 60% of men skip this consultation when they go to the specialist. More than 50% wait a year to see a medical professional.
5. 35% of men are not aware of the existence of male pads and only 7% use them. Instead, some resort to feminine pads, toilet paper, or... double underpants.
6. Damage to the sphincter, the circular muscle that controls the flow of urine out of the bladder, normally causes urinary incontinence in men. It may be damaged by an enlarged prostate.
7. Andropause , in which hormonal changes and weight gain are often combined, weakens the tissues of the pelvic floor. Exercising the muscles in this area helps control urine loss. Kegels work for both men and women.
8. Urinary incontinence is the third disease that causes the greatest reduction in the quality of life of Spaniards, behind mental pathologies and serious cardiovascular problems.
9. A bladder can hold between 300 and 400 ml of urine (about two glasses of water) during the day. At night, the figure increases to 800 ml.
10. There are three types of urinary incontinence : stress (leaks are when laughing, coughing, sneezing or exercising), urgency (the need is so intense that you can't get to the bathroom in time) and mixed (a combination of the two above). .
11. The most frequent incontinence among men is the so-called "overactive bladder", caused by poor neurological control of bladder emptying. However, it is the pathology that has the best solution, thanks to controlled medication and the strengthening of the pelvic floor.
12. Often, urine leakage is associated with problems such as heart disease, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, skin and urinary tract infections.

In addition to physical therapy to rehabilitate the pelvic floor , the medical recommendation can include everything from the prescription of medications, the use of special devices such as pessaries, injectable implants, to resorting to the inflatable artificial sphincter, in case of neurological diseases. There is also electrostimulation, very similar to passive gymnastics. And ultimately resort to some kind of surgical procedures or surgery.

Whether you are a man or a woman, and regardless of the medical treatment you try , urinary incontinence is associated with changes in mood. That is why it is important to decide to seek professional help with medical personnel in a timely manner.

Our goal at TuSaludIntima de Zenzsual is to help you maintain your general and intimate health, and to remember the importance of seeking medical help. In addition to that, we have a team of doctors and professionals available to chat with you through their online consultations whenever you want.

We invite you to visit our online store TuSaludIntima to learn about Zenzsual's feminine care products and connect through our social networks, where we always publish videos, promotions, and informative tips for your feminine health and sexuality. Follow us on our social networks @tuSaludintima @DoctoraKlaraSenior and @Tu_Ginecologa.