What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is defined as the loss of urine through the urethra as a result of physical effort, or the imperative need to urinate, which cannot be controlled by the patient.
It is a common condition, 25% of women seem to suffer from this condition, but the percentage is certainly more significant, because women avoid addressing this issue with their doctor, considering the condition normal, as a consequence of natural births. However, incontinence affects men less, regardless of age.
How is our body affected?
There are two main types: urinary stress incontinence (the most common) and imperious incontinence, two forms that can occur separately, but can also coexist.
Urinary stress incontinence is caused by the weakening of pelvic support structures, especially by the weakening of the muscles and fascias of the pelvic floor, which normally support the urethra.
Loss of urine occurs as a result of coughing, sneezing, weight lifting and may take mild forms with occasional loss, up to severe forms with loss of urine at any change in position or gait. The incontinence evolution is progressive once triggered, rarely spontaneously improves (passenger forms that occur during pregnancy and disappear in the first weeks of lehusia).
Causes and risks
The causes are pregnancy and childbirth, and all that this involves (prolonged labor, difficult birth, incision or not of the perineum, number of births), but not only, there are other causes: obesity, chronic cough, menopause, smoking.
Often incontinence is a consequence of perineum rupture, but is not necessarily associated with this. Urinary infections, cystitis, lesions of the cervix, tumors of the uterus or cervix are diseases that can produce the same symptom, causing a false incontinence.
The diagnosis cannot be made if the patient does not addresses this with their doctor. Frequently women do not report this problem out of embarrassment, pudour and therefore, untreated, the condition leads to depression. The unpleasant smell, the use of intimate towels, the limitation of the capacity of social relations, the sexual life impairment lead to a decline in quality of life and have effects on mood and mental heaalth, with varying degrees of depression.
In men, urinary stress incontinence is observed after a surgical intervention on the prostate.
Prevention
Unfortunately, there are no clinically proven forms for the prevention of urinary incontinence. However, it seems that there are several methods to reduce the risk of developing this condition:
– maintain a healthy weight,
– practice Kegel exercises, especially during pregnancy,
– avoid bladder irritants such as caffeine and acidic foods,
– eat more fibre, that can prevent constipation, and promotes incontinence.
Treatment
Treatment of mild forms of incontinence especially in young women, is conservative – Kegel gymnastics, biofeedback, etc.
In most cases, treatment is only surgical. There are over 200 surgical techniques, but the risk of relapse is 20-70%. In recent years, revolutionary techniques have emerged, such as: TOT (transobturator tape) and TVT (transvaginal tape), using polypropylene prostheses, also called “bandelettes”, these act as a “hammock” for the urethra, repositioning it and restoring its continence function.
The operation is performed under local or spinal anesthesia, lasts between 15-45 minutes (if associated with other lesions: cystocele, rectocele, etc., the time of intervention is prolonged). The patient is discharged within 24 hours, socio-professional reintegration is immediately possible.
It should also to be noted that this type of “bandelette” is settled by CAS 100%, so that the patient can benefit from them very quickly and FOR FREE. ORTOPEDICA specialists can advise you free of charge in preparing the file for obtaining the CNAS settlement decision.
For the men affected by urinary incontinence, treatment is mainly medicinal, and in order to give them the opportunity to continue their social life unhindered, urinary condoms with velcro fastening system, along with bags for the day or bags for the night, can be used. All products can be purchased COMPENSATED through National Health Insurance System, from any ORTOPEDICA store.
It should be noted that the most important problem is the one related to diagnosis, as patients remain undiagnosed because they do not address the issue with their doctor.
Early diagnosis and treatment leads to a complete and lasting healing.
