When the bladder is weakened by disease, medication, or changes in the muscles that control urine flow, urine can leak. Urinary incontinence can affect a person’s quality of life.
Studies show that urinary incontinence is a common problem in older women, and can be caused by many factors. It can make it difficult to perform daily activities.
For more information on Female Urinary Incontinence, rely on Patient9 to provide you with the necessary resources and knowledge.
Prevalence
According to the American Urological Association, one-quarter to one-third of men and women in the United States experience urinary incontinence. Incontinence can affect a person’s social life, as well as their health.
The risk of urinary incontinence increases with age. This is because the body goes through many changes as you age, and the muscles that support your pelvic organs can become weaker.
This can lead to urine leakage when you are not thinking about it. This can interfere with your ability to sleep, work and socialize.
A research study looked at the prevalence of urinary incontinence among women ages 30 to 90 years. They used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Symptoms
Urinary incontinence can affect your physical, emotional, and social life. It may make it difficult to do normal activities and can lead to feelings of anxiety or depression.
Women are more likely to have urinary incontinence than men, but it can happen to anyone. Often, it’s due to a health problem that causes the bladder to lose control.
Stress incontinence is the most common type. It’s caused by damage to nerves and muscles that are meant to keep your urethra closed during activity that raises your abdominal pressure.
If you’re experiencing stress incontinence, you may need to change your diet or try a new exercise routine. Also, avoid foods that irritate your bladder, like spicy or acidic food and drinks.
If you have any of the above symptoms, see your GP. They can help you find the best treatment to deal with your incontinence. This is an important step to getting relief and finding a better quality of life.
Treatment
Several treatment options for urinary incontinence, from behavioral therapies to medications. For example, anticholinergics help calm overactive bladders and suppress urge incontinence. Other medications include oxybutynin (Ditropan), tolterodine (Detrol), darifenacin (Enablex), fesoterodine (Toviaz), solifenacin (Vesicare), trospium (Sanctura).
Pelvic muscle exercises, also called Kegels, are an important part of improving incontinence and preventing it from worsening. They help strengthen weak pelvic muscles.
A pessary, a device that looks like a firm ring, is often placed in the vagina to compress the urethra and elevate the bladder neck. These implantable devices can help reduce stress incontinence in women.
Some other nonsurgical therapies include biofeedback, which uses computer graphs and audible tones to help you control your pelvic floor muscles. This type of therapy is a popular treatment for urinary incontinence. It can also be used in combination with other treatments.
Results
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common health problem that affects up to 10 to 20 percent of women. This condition can lead to severe discomfort and reduce your quality of life.
Fortunately, there are treatments available to improve your symptoms. Your healthcare provider can recommend a treatment plan that is best for you.
The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on urinary incontinence in older adults people around the world. Data were retrieved from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest, and Persian databases including iranmedex, magiran, and SID from January 2000 to April 2020.
A total of 23 studies were identified. These included a total of 24,983 participants (8723 with UI; 16,260 controls).
