A problem that is often very embarrassing for those who suffer from it, urinary incontinence involves having a loss of bladder control that can range from mild to very severe. In situations where the loss of bladder control is severe, it can often be life-altering until the condition is properly diagnosed and treated. If you believe you may be struggling with urinary incontinence, here are some signs that could indicate a trip to your doctor is needed.
Sudden Urge to Urinate
If you have a sudden urge to urinate that is immediately followed by an involuntary loss of urine, incontinence may be an issue. Known as urge incontinence, it can be caused by anything from a minor urinary tract infection to more serious problems such as diabetes or neurological issues.
Urinating Throughout the Night
In this scenario, you rarely if ever get a good night’s sleep because you are constantly having to get up to urinate. For many people who fail to get up and to the bathroom in time, bedwetting makes an already embarrassing problem that much worse.
Frequent or Constant Dribbling
One of the most common signs of urinary incontinence is having frequent or constant dribbling of your urine, which occurs because your bladder is not able to empty itself completely when you go to the bathroom.
Stress Incontinence
For many people, both men and women, stress incontinence is a very common form of urinary incontinence. When this occurs, you will have an involuntary loss of urine after you exert pressure on your bladder. This usually happens when you sneeze, cough, laugh, perform heavy lifting, or even when exercising.
Restriction of Activities
As stated earlier, suffering from urinary incontinence can often mean your day-to-day living will be altered in many ways until your condition is properly treated. For example, you may begin to restrict your activities, such as not going to the gym to exercise or playing golf with your friends. Social interactions may also become limited, which may include not attending religious services regularly or declining invitations from friends for a night out on the town.
Affecting people of all ages, urinary incontinence can often be treated with medications or through lifestyle changes. Instead of letting yourself continue to suffer from this embarrassing and debilitating condition, seek out the advice of your doctor. Since it may only require a slight change in your diet or a few days of taking medication to solve your problem, it may not be long until urinary incontinence is a thing of the past.
