Can Incontinence Be Reversed? True Facts About Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a condition that can cause leakage and difficulty maintaining bladder control. It can leave men feeling isolated and cut off from their favorite activities, and can be difficult to discuss with urologists and healthcare professionals.
The good news is that options are available for managing urinary incontinence's effects, so you can feel comfortable and confident in your own body again.
MDP (Male Drip Protection) is here to help you get the resources and information you need to recognize incontinence symptoms and find the management and treatment options that best fit your lifestyle needs. We have the absorbent incontinence products you need for peace of mind and comfort all day long, and we’re sharing a closer look at some of the facts and essential information you need to get the relief you deserve.
Can Incontinence Be Reversed?
One commonly asked question about urinary incontinence is, “can it be reversed?”. The short answer is, sometimes. That’s because there are many different types of incontinence and many different reasons a person might be experiencing incontinence.
If your incontinence is brought on by an acute condition, such as constipation or urinary tract infections (UTIs), then resolving the root causes can address the incontinence, and it may go away completely. It’s also important to look into your medical history, as medical conditions like kidney disease, obesity, or diabetes, or neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, can affect your continence.
More aggressive treatment options are available if management methods aren’t effective. These may include sacral nerve stimulation and Botox, surgeries like slings, and the application of an artificial sphincter to improve bladder control. There’s even a surgery called urethra bulking that reinforces your urethra to prevent dribbles.
These treatment options may be partially or entirely successful at treating urinary incontinence. A lot depends on the root cause of your incontinence and the impact of other therapies and lifestyle changes.
For the most part, your healthcare professional will likely recommend therapeutic interventions and lifestyle changes first to see if that can help alleviate urinary incontinence symptoms.
True Facts About Urinary Incontinence
The more you know about urinary incontinence, the easier it will be to find the best therapies and treatments for your specific needs and improved quality of life. Here are some facts to keep in mind regarding urinary incontinence.
It’s More Common Than It Seems
We often associate urinary incontinence with women’s health related to menopause, pregnancy, and hormone changes. And while women are more likely than men to experience urinary incontinence, it’s much more common than it might seem.
It’s estimated that about three to 11% of men in the United States manage the effect of urinary incontinence in some capacity. However, it’s important to note that numbers may not reflect the true ubiquity of the condition, as urinary incontinence may be difficult for individuals to speak about.
While urinary incontinence becomes more prevalent in patients as they age, many young men also manage the effects of incontinence for different reasons. Here at Male Drip Protection, we estimate that just under half of our users are below 55. Being honest with your urology healthcare professional can help you to get the relief and support you need.
There Are Different Kinds
There are six types of urinary incontinence. Stress incontinence, the kind that causes leaking when sneezing or coughing, is one of the most common types. Other types include urge incontinence (overactive bladder), overflow incontinence (difficulty voiding), functional incontinence, reflex incontinence, and mixed incontinence.
There can be some overlaps in the symptoms for each type of incontinence, including dribbling, leaking urine, and loss of urine, as well as overlap in treatments. It’s important to do your research and understand what causes each type of incontinence and the best management and treatment options.
This is the best way to get the support and care you need to regain agency and independence throughout the day.
Simple Changes Make a Big Difference
Before recommending more invasive surgeries or extreme treatment options, your doctor will likely suggest certain lifestyle changes. Certain conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, or being overweight, can increase your risk of developing urinary incontinence.
Increasing physical activity, incorporating pelvic muscle exercises to support your urethra, avoiding lifting heavy objects, losing weight, or more effectively managing chronic conditions can be a quick and efficient way to reduce the effects of urinary incontinence.
There’s No Magic Food
It’s important to recognize that no singular food or diet change can significantly affect the amount of urine leakage you experience. That said, certain foods can act as diuretics, essentially putting excess pressure on the bladder and causing an increase in the symptoms of urinary incontinence.
The most common are drinks like caffeine and alcohol, which stimulate the bladder. Reducing consumption may be the simple change needed to reduce urinary incontinence, especially before bed at night.
You also want to make sure that you’re consuming enough fiber throughout the day, and that you’re staying hydrated. Increased fluid intake may seem counterintuitive, as excess water consumption can cause incontinence. But dehydration is one of the common causes of constipation, which can also be responsible for urinary incontinence, so it’s all about finding the right balance.
You Have Options
While some treatment options may be a little aggressive, your top management and therapy choices are easy to begin practicing right at home.
The most common are Kegel exercises, pelvic floor exercises, and bladder training. Kegel exercises simply require the tightening of the pelvic muscles used to control the flow of urine.
With your doctor’s approval, practicing them can help strengthen the bladder muscles, making it easier for the bladder to maintain more urine for longer. It’s recommended that you practice at least 10 reps three or four times a day to strengthen the muscles over time.
This can be done in tandem with bladder training. Bladder training involves a urination schedule, with specific time intervals between each bathroom visit.
This is useful for managing the effects of nighttime urinary incontinence and increasing the time you can wait between bathroom trips. As your capacity improves, you can increase the time in each interval. Other treatment options may be simple changes, such as clearing the pathway to the bathroom in the case of functional incontinence.
Conclusion
The more you know about urinary incontinence, like what causes it, different types, and top treatment methods, the easier it will be to get the information and support you need to create a therapy and management plan that meets your specific needs.
A few simple changes, like losing weight or strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and bladder training with a physical therapist, can make a big difference in the symptoms and effects of urinary incontinence.
And it’s also useful to understand the different types of urinary incontinence, so you can better treat the specific symptoms and conditions associated with each. That might mean Kegel exercises in the case of stress incontinence or the addition of mobility aids to the home in the case of functional incontinence.
And MDP is here to help. We carry urinary incontinence products that will absorb leakage and give you that little extra protection all day long. And we’re sharing the information and resources you need to start getting relief from the symptoms of bladder control problems.
Whether you’re looking for management and therapies, comprehensive treatment options, or just a little more information, we’ve got you covered. Pick up our Male Drip Protection product to get started today.
Sources:
Incontinence: Leakage, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention | Cleveland Clinic