Know About Urinary Incontinence In Men

Talking of elders and their care brings to mind one of the problems faced by elder men and women; urinary incontinence that is more common in old men and women. Women are more prone to it because of   anatomical differences in the pelvic region and the changes induced by pregnancy and childbirth.

Causes of urinary incontinence in men: 

It is significant to understand that muscles and nerves work together to hold the urine in the bladder and release it at the right time. The damage or diseased condition of the nerves in the brain could send wrong signals to the bladder and the sphincter.

Nerve damage occurs in those that have diabetes, stroke, Parkinson disease and multiple sclerosis that lead to bladder control and emptying problems. One more condition that could cause urinary incontinence by nerve problems is overactive bladder.

Those with overactive bladder could experience 2 to 3 of the following symptoms. It could cause urination 8 or more times in a day or 2 to 3 times during the night. The next symptom could be urinary urgency where there is a sudden strong need to urinate immediately and thirdly there could be urine leakage that follows a sudden, strong urge to urinate.

Prostrate problems could also lead to urinary incontinence. The enlargement of the prostate gland that surrounds the urethra just below the bladder could squeeze the urethra and affect the flow of the urinary stream. It is more common in men as they age with about 90% of the men in their 70’s and 80’s experiencing the symptoms.

The most common symptoms are changes or problems with urination, such as a hesitant, interrupted, weak stream; urgency and leaking or dribbling; more frequent urination, especially at night; and urge incontinence.

The surgical removal of the entire prostate gland or radical prostatectomy due to prostate cancer could lead to erection problem or urinary incontinence or UI. Again it is found that external beam radiation another treatment for prostate cancer could also lead to temporary or permanent bladder problems.

Diagnosis of urinary incontinence: 

You need to fix up an appointment with a specialist and answer questions put by him. You would have to tell him the amount of fluid, alcohol and caffeine you take every day in addition to prescription and nonprescription drugs taken by you. You should also give details of your general medical history and other details about your incontinence problem.

You may be asked to maintain a voiding diary where you record fluid intakes, visits to the bathroom plus any episodes of leakage that would aid the specialist in future investigations.  

Next a physical examination may be carried on to check prostate enlargement or nerve damage. These tests would give a general idea about the size and condition of the gland as well tingling sensations or feelings of numbness and changes in sensation in the nerves as well as muscle tone, and reflexes. Nerve damage is best checked by EEG and EMG.

The EEG that is performed by taping wires to the forehead checks brain dysfunction, while the EMG is performed by taping the lower abdomen to measure nerve activity in muscles and muscular activity that may be related to loss of bladder control. An ultrasound would also prove useful in getting images of the bladder and kidney.

Urodynamic testing may be done to assess the bladder's ability to store urine and empty steadily and completely, and your sphincter control mechanism. It can also show whether the bladder is having abnormal contractions that cause leakage. This test can help identify limited bladder capacity, bladder over-activity or under-activity, weak sphincter muscles, or urinary obstruction.

I am sure this article will be useful in knowing about urinary incontinence in men