More than 13 million people in the United States, both males and females, experience incontinence, especially among older adults.
Female Incontinence
Women experience incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. There are two main kinds of urinary incontinence. Some women-especially older women-have both.
- Stress incontinence occurs when you sneeze, cough, laugh, jog, or do other things that put pressure on your bladder. This type of bladder control problem happens in both men and women.
- Urge incontinence happens when you have a strong need to urinate but can’t reach the toilet in time. This can happen even when your bladder is holding only a small amount of urine.
Male Incontinence
Over 2 million men suffer with incontinence. It is a serious problem that men are reluctant to discuss with others. For men, urinary incontinence often is related to a medical problem or a treatment involving:
- The prostate gland
- Enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH)
- Prostate removal due to cancer
The types of male incontinence include:
- Stress Incontinence occurs when you sneeze, cough, laugh, jog, or do other things that put pressure on your bladder. This is the most common type of incontinence post-prostate cancer.
- Urge Incontinence happens when you have a strong need to urinate but can’t reach the toilet in time. This can happen even when your bladder is holding only a small amount of urine.
- Overflow Incontinence is when the bladder does not empty properly. This can be due to other medical conditions such as an enlarged prostate or a narrowing of the urethra.
If you or a loved is experiencing symptoms overactive bladder (OAB) incontinence, contact Teton Outpatient Services for an appointment and relief from this embarrassing and inconvenient condition.
