Urinary incontinence


How many types of urinary incontinency are there?
Urinary incontinence is currently mainly divided into stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, overflow urinary incontinence, and true urinary incontinence. The main symptom of stress urinary incontinence is urine leakage from the urethra during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or jumping rope. Urge urinary incontinence is commonly seen in acute bladder inflammation, people with diabetes, and those with sclerotic bladder necks, leading to situations of urge incontinence. The main manifestation is a sudden strong urge to urinate, requiring immediate action to urinate; if not managed in time, urine will leak from the urethra. Overflow incontinence, commonly found in lower urinary tract obstructions, especially in elderly men with prostate enlargement, causes overflow incontinence due to urethral blockage, characterized by a distinct feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen.


How do I deal with painful urination followed by urinary incontinence?
Painful urination followed by urinary incontinence is considered to be due to a urinary tract infection causing urge incontinence. When this occurs, the patient needs to undergo a routine urine test to confirm that it is caused by a urinary tract infection. Initial treatment can involve oral antibiotics to address the infection. After controlling the urinary tract infection, the incontinence will be alleviated or cured. There are also other causes of painful urination and urge incontinence, such as interstitial cystitis or glandular cystitis, which are special bladder diseases. These conditions require further investigation with urinary system ultrasound or cystoscopy for a definitive diagnosis. Treatment then follows based on the specific cause, and after treating conditions like interstitial cystitis, the incontinence will be relieved or cured.


Which part to massage for urinary incontinence
In cases of urinary incontinence, massaging acupoints such as Zusanli (ST36) and Shenshu (BL23) can effectively alleviate the condition, but this does not cure it. It is recommended to visit a formal hospital and follow the doctor's guidance for symptomatic treatment to achieve a cure. It is crucial to seek timely treatment to prevent the condition from worsening, which can be difficult to cure and may affect daily life. It is advised to engage in more physical activities regularly, as this can help strengthen the body's resistance. Doing exercises such as squats, push-ups, and sit-ups can also effectively help relieve symptoms of urinary incontinence.


What causes sudden fainting and incontinence?
Sudden fainting accompanied by incontinence can be due to neurogenic syncope, cardiogenic syncope, or vasovagal syncope. Neurogenic syncope generally refers to sudden fainting caused by conditions such as cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebral vascular narrowing, cerebral vascular occlusion, transient cerebral ischemia, insufficient blood supply from the vertebrobasilar arteries, cerebral embolism, cerebral hemorrhage, intracranial space-occupying lesions, or cerebral vascular malformations, which can lead to incontinence and, in severe cases, convulsions. Cardiogenic syncope is generally caused by myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, or heart failure, leading to a decrease in cardiac output and resulting secondary cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, which cause loss of consciousness.


What should I do about urinary incontinence due to brain atrophy?
Urinary incontinence due to brain atrophy is mainly because the brain centers controlling urination and defecation have atrophied. This can be caused by vascular reasons leading to brain atrophy, such as cerebral infarction or hemorrhage affecting the adjacent centrolobular region, leading to urinary incontinence. Therefore, treatment should primarily target the underlying disease. Rehabilitation treatments are recommended, particularly traditional Chinese medicine methods like acupuncture and moxibustion. Modern rehabilitation, establishing regular urinary habits, and pelvic floor rehabilitation are also beneficial for treating urinary incontinence. Additionally, both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine can be used for treatment.


What department should I go to for urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary leakage of urine from the bladder, uncontrollable. There are many causes of urinary incontinence, categorized into stress incontinence, overflow incontinence, urge incontinence, and functional incontinence. If urinary incontinence occurs, it is advisable to visit a urologist and undergo some related examinations. The most common type among female patients is stress incontinence. For instance, urine might involuntarily leak during coughing, sneezing, or lifting heavy objects. This is associated with weak pelvic floor muscles, impaired function of the bladder sphincter or urethral sphincter, lack of coordination among these muscles, and a deficiency of estrogen. Urge incontinence is mainly seen in urinary tract infections, whereas overflow incontinence can be seen in conditions like prostate enlargement, urethral stricture, or neurogenic bladder.


What causes urinary incontinence in the elderly?
Urinary incontinence in the elderly varies due to different mechanisms and types, with the two most common categories being genuine urinary incontinence, which is due to neurogenic bladder dysfunction or overactive detrusor muscles, damage to the urethral sphincter, or loss of bladder storage function. These are commonly seen in conditions like chronic stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and psychiatric diseases. The other major category is caused by relaxation of the urethral sphincter or pelvic floor muscles surrounding the urethra, leading to reduced urethral pressure. Incontinence in this category may occur when negative pressure increases, such as during coughing, sneezing, straining during bowel movements, or changing body position. This type of urinary incontinence is more common in elderly women and in elderly men who have had prostate removal, leading to damage to the external urethral sphincter.


Will postpartum urinary incontinence heal itself?
Symptoms of urinary incontinence after childbirth are curable for most women. Postpartum urinary incontinence results from the relaxation and strain of the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy and childbirth, thus it is necessary to exercise these muscles after giving birth. Additionally, pelvic physiotherapy can also be performed. Generally, normal function can be restored within six months, and for those in better health, recovery can occur as soon as one month postpartum. It is critical to adhere to treatment under medical guidance when experiencing urinary incontinence; otherwise, the impact on a woman's health can be significant, affecting normal social interactions and work.


How is stress urinary incontinence treated?
Stress urinary incontinence primarily occurs when activities like coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, or jumping rope cause a sudden increase in negative pressure, leading to urine leakage from the urethral opening. For the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, it is important to determine the severity of the condition. For mild stress urinary incontinence, improvement can be achieved through exercises that strengthen the urinary sphincter and the pelvic floor muscles. For moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, surgical intervention is recommended, mainly through mid-urethral sling procedures to manage urination. Patients should also take care to minimize activities that suddenly increase abdominal pressure, such as lifting heavy objects, laughing heartily, or sneezing.


What is the difference between genuine urinary incontinence and pseudo urinary incontinence?
Genuine urinary incontinence generally occurs due to incomplete closure of the urethral sphincter, or due to insufficient urethral closure pressure. As a result, patients will show continuous leakage of urine from the urethra or involuntary urine discharge from the urethra when there is an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, such as during sneezing, coughing, or performing strenuous physical activities. Genuine urinary incontinence includes both continuous and stress urinary incontinence. Pseudo urinary incontinence is generally due to urethral stricture, commonly seen with conditions such as prostatic hyperplasia or urethral stones. The urethral stricture prevents urine from being expelled from the bladder. When the bladder becomes overly full, urine overflows through the urethra, a condition also known as overflow incontinence.