Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine.
Incontinence can be triggered oftentimes by coughing or sneezing. If mostly affects women who have given birth, but can develop in men who have undergone prostate surgery.
Personal Impact of Incontinence
Sufferers can not only be inconvenienced and limited by the condition but can also be impacted by the stigma that can be around condition.
A person afflicted with urinary incontinence is much more impacted by the fear and anxiety of being incontinent in public. Often more so than the distress caused by urine leakage itself.
Fears like this can lead to sufferers withdrawing from social and recreational activities.
Effects of Incontinence
Effects of urinary incontinence can impact many areas of your life including:
Emotional life
- Feelings of stigma and humiliation
- Social and recreational withdrawal
- Fear and anxiety related to being incontinent in public
Relationships
- Reduced intimacy, affection and physical proximity
- Marriage breakdown and subsequent divorce
Exercise and sport
- A barrier to exercise: a particular problem in mixed incontinence
Employment
- Loss of concentration and ability to perform physical tasks
- Interruption of work for toilet breaks
- Absence from work
Travel and holidays
- Reluctance to visit new places
- Need to pack protective materials, think of ways to dispose of used pads
Sleep
- The quality and amount of sleep is affected, especially in women with an overactive bladder
- Women may be woken up several times a night and there may be enuresis or incontinence on the way to the bathroom
- Nocturia is a common symptom of an overactive bladder
- Risk of falling, especially in the elderly
What You Can Do?
While urinary incontinence may be treatable with
- psychotherapy,
- medication or
- Surgery.
Your Next Step
If you experience the inconvenience of Incontinence and your condition may be treatable at our practice. We advise that you see your general practitioner and possibly obtain a referral to see Dr Gailani at omargailani.com.au
