When people think of losing bladder control, they might imagine it being similar to a child who hasn’t been potty trained where they release the full contents of their bladder into their pants. But for adults dealing with bladder issues, it’s often more subtle.
Rather than losing complete control and releasing everything, you may just have a little leakage occur. Even if you’re holding it, a small amount of urine might slip through. For some people, it might even happen after they went to the bathroom.
Whatever the situation, this is generally referred to as bladder leakage.
What is Bladder Leakage?
Bladder leakage is a common symptom of urinary incontinence. It can happen in a number of situations, including physical activity, when you’re making your way to the bathroom, after you’ve used the bathroom, and sometimes, it can happen for no obvious reason at all.
People tend to associate bladder control issues with the elderly, but the truth is, people can suffer from leakage and other bladder issues at any age. It is much more common in women. In fact, 6 out of 7 people with incontinence are women.
What Causes Bladder Leakage?
For women, one common cause of leakage is UTIs. While men can experience UTIs, they are far more common among women. Many women also deal with leakage after the birth of a child as well. Pregnancy and childbirth can stretch out the muscles around your urethra that are otherwise used to hold in urine.
This typically results in stress incontinence, where urine involuntarily leaks after physical exertion.
For men, a common cause of bladder leakage is physical injury or prostate surgery. These, however, are far from the only causes. Things that can result in bladder leakage for both men and women include kidney problems, neurological disorders, medications, diet, excessive fluids, and more.
Dealing with Bladder Leakage
If you’re having bladder problems, it’s important that you have them checked. A loss of bladder control isn’t something anyone should just learn to deal with. Often, these issues can be symptoms of a larger problem.
There’s no need to be embarrassed. Anyone can experience bladder problems from time to time. Thankfully, there are a number of treatment options available.
Some may simply need to change their diet or do some physical exercises. Others might benefit from a medication or surgery. There is also InterStim, which is another popular treatment option that can give you better bladder control without the need for medication.
The only way to find out what options are available for you is to meet with a urologist. For Urology in Dayton, Ohio and the surrounding communities, contact Urology Specialists of Ohio today!