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Urinary Incontinence in Men
The accidental leakage of urine, urinary incontinence
is a common and distressing problem, which may have a profound impact on the
quality of both women's and men's lives. But it is common knowledge that men, especially older men rather than younger ones, tend
to face this problem more often than women, due to the structure of the urinary tract. Fortunately, incontinence is treatable and
often curable at all ages.
First of all, urinary incontinence occurs because of the problems involving the muscles
which help to hold and/or release urine.
The body stores urine, water and wastes removed by the kidneys in the urinary bladder. The bladder connects to the urethra,
which is the tube through which urine leaves the body; this process is also known as 'urination'.
During urination, the muscles in the
wall of the bladder contract, forcing urine out of the bladder into the urethra. Sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra relax,
letting urine pass out of the body. Incontinence occurs if the bladder muscles suddenly contract or muscles surrounding the urethra
suddenly relax.
Urinary incontinence takes three forms: stress incontinence, urge incontinence and overflow incontinence. The first type is the involuntary
loss of urine during actions that are putting abdominal pressure on the bladder (such as coughing, lifting heavy objects or sneezing).
Urge incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine due to an overwhelming urge to urinate that cannot be avoided. Overflow
incontinence is the constant dribbling of urine usually associated with urinating frequently and in small amounts.
The causes of urinary incontinence are: prostate problems
, head injury and spinal cord injury, diseases that can cause male urinary
incontinence, infections, the aging process, toxins, medications or the mental state. For instance, difficulty and unpredictability
in passing urine is a common feature of prostate abnormalities. It can also be a side effect of the surgical removal of the prostate.
Also, the control of the bladder can be lost as a result of damage to the head or to the spinal cord because of a trauma.
Neurological problems can be another cause of urinary incontinence in men. (Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis).
In the case of urinary tract infections, incontinence may represent only a symptom of what could be a more serious urin
ary infection,
treatable with antibiotics.
As men age, organic brain damage can occur at any time, affecting their ways of thinking and acting.
The coordination between the signals their brain transmits to their body do not function as well as they used to and therefore
incontinence results. Also, body parts are more likely to let them down. The consumption of too much alcohol can affect
the functions of our body
and therefore the ability to pass urine. Sedatives taken in high doses may have the undesired result
of urinary incontinence. Even emotional distress and illness can cause this sort of problems.
Depending of what causes urinary incontinence, you should seek help from your doctor because fortunately it is a treatable condition.
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