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Urinary incontinence
How much water should a patient with urinary incontinence drink each day?
Patients with urinary incontinence generally need a daily water intake of about 1000 to 2000 milliliters. Although those suffering from urinary incontinence may involuntarily excrete urine from the urethra, their water intake needs to be the same as that of normal individuals. Drinking more water is beneficial for the body, as it increases urine production, which can dilute the concentration of stone-forming substances in the urine, thus reducing the likelihood of developing urinary stones. Increased urine production due to higher water intake can promptly flush the urinary tract, especially washing away bacteria on the urethra, thereby reducing the chances of urinary tract infections. Furthermore, drinking more water increases urine production and promptly excretes metabolic waste products produced in the body through the urine, thus preventing the accumulation of metabolic products.
What should elderly people do if they have slight urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is relatively common in the elderly. After excluding organic causes of urinary incontinence through examination, we should consider functional causes. This is mainly due to the relaxation of the urethral sphincter, pelvic floor, and the muscles around the urethra, which decreases the urethral pressure. When the abdominal pressure increases, it can cause urinary incontinence. We can improve the muscles of the pelvic floor gradually by undergoing pelvic floor rehabilitation therapy, which increases their strength and improves urinary incontinence. The key to pelvic floor rehabilitation is to provide patients with guidance and exercises for lifting the anus. By persisting in these exercises, the symptoms of urinary incontinence can be alleviated or eliminated.
How to treat stress urinary incontinence?
Stress urinary incontinence is commonly seen in women who have given birth, with the likelihood of occurring increasing with the number of childbirths. It primarily manifests as urine leakage through the urethral opening when there is an increase in abdominal pressure from coughing, sneezing, laughing, or lifting heavy objects. For mild urinary incontinence, improvement can be achieved through pelvic floor and urinary sphincter muscle exercises. For moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, it is recommended to seek surgical treatment early. This can involve mid-urethral sling procedures to control urination. Post-surgery, it is also necessary to minimize situations that suddenly increase intra-abdominal pressure.
Is it normal to have urinary incontinence with morning sickness during pregnancy?
Morning sickness and urinary incontinence are considered normal phenomena. If severe nausea and vomiting occur after pregnancy, it could increase abdominal pressure, leading to stress urinary incontinence. This condition is thought to be caused by the relaxation of pelvic floor muscles. It is crucial to actively engage in pelvic floor rehabilitation after childbirth to aid the recovery of the pelvic floor, to prevent symptoms like urinary incontinence and leakage when coughing postpartum. The best period for pelvic floor recovery is between 42 days to six months after childbirth. Engaging in pelvic floor rehabilitation during this period is beneficial for recovery. The longer the delay, the slower and more challenging the recovery will be.
How many types of urinary incontinence are there?
Urinary incontinence refers to the uncontrolled release of urine through the urethra. There are several types of urinary incontinence, including urge incontinence, stress incontinence, overflow incontinence, and true incontinence, each requiring treatment tailored to the specific type. The most common type is stress incontinence, which is often seen in women who have given birth. It is mainly caused by relaxation of the bladder sphincter and typically occurs when sudden increases in abdominal pressure, such as during coughing, laughing, or lifting heavy objects, cause urine to flow from the urethra. If the symptoms are mild, improvement can be achieved through exercises for the pelvic floor and bladder sphincter muscles. If the symptoms are severe, surgical treatment is recommended.
Causes of stress urinary incontinence
The onset of stress urinary incontinence primarily refers to the phenomenon where a sudden increase in abdominal pressure during activities such as laughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, or jumping rope causes a small amount of urine to leak from the urethra. The main cause of stress urinary incontinence is due to the relaxation of the detrusor muscle, commonly seen in women who have had multiple vaginal deliveries. Treatment for this condition should be based on the severity of the incontinence. For mild incontinence, it can be improved through functional exercises of the detrusor muscle and pelvic floor muscle training. For moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, surgical treatment is recommended.
What are the characteristics of the various types of urinary incontinence?
There are several types of urinary incontinence, common ones include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, and true incontinence. Stress incontinence, which is common in clinical practice, primarily occurs in women, especially in those who have given birth, are obese, or are elderly. It is characterized by the involuntary leakage of urine through the urethra during coughing, laughing, or sneezing. Urge incontinence, often seen in acute bladder inflammation, usually presents with symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, painful urination, and pain in the lower abdomen before the onset of incontinence. Overflow incontinence is more common in elderly men, caused by urinary obstructions, such as those resulting from prostatic hyperplasia compressing the urethra, leading to urinary retention. In this case, the patient's bladder area may exhibit significant distension and tenderness. True incontinence is often seen in cases of neurological damage, such as from spinal injury or intracranial disorders.
Can you have intercourse with postpartum urinary incontinence?
Postpartum urinary incontinence should preclude sexual intercourse, as intercourse can exacerbate the condition. It is necessary to wait until recovery is achieved before resuming sexual activities. It is advised that patients promptly seek hospital treatment for pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation, which can generally bring effective relief within six months. If recovery begins after more than six months, the results can be poor. It is also important to develop good living habits, ensuring adequate sleep, avoiding fatigue, and refraining from heavy physical labor. Proper bowel movements should be maintained to prevent constipation, which can increase abdominal pressure and worsen urinary incontinence.
Can shock cause incontinence?
Shock patients often experience incontinence, which is very common in clinical settings. Various reasons can lead to shock, causing a decrease in the body's blood pressure. This results in severely inadequate perfusion of the brain, heart, and blood vessels, leading to the loss of control over the body's urinary and fecal reflexes and resulting in incontinence. Therefore, when shock occurs, we should strengthen nursing care, actively rehydrate, and actively treat the shock. It is also important to promptly identify and treat the cause of the shock. Only comprehensive treatment can save the patient's life. Moreover, enhancing nursing care is very important for shock patients, as they are prone to suffocation and incontinence.
How to recover from fecal incontinence?
For fecal incontinence, we must first conduct an effective evaluation and complete relevant examinations. For instance, we need to perform anal canal pressure measurements and examine the anal sphincter muscle imaging. Through these examinations, we can determine the extent of fecal incontinence and then adopt corresponding treatment methods. For fecal incontinence, we can initially choose conservative treatments, such as treatment with biofeedback therapy.