What should elderly people do if they have slight urinary incontinence?

Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
Updated on November 29, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Tian Jing
Colorectal Surgery
53sec home-news-image

Will fecal incontinence heal on its own?

The causes of fecal incontinence in the anal region are primarily considered to be due to local organic lesions, or disturbances in nerve control, which can also lead to incontinence. If fecal incontinence is caused by either of these two reasons, it generally will not heal on its own. Severe diarrhea or acute intestinal infections can also cause fecal incontinence due to an increased frequency of bowel movements and acute inflammatory edema of the local intestinal mucosa. This can be alleviated by taking oral anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal medications. If the incontinence is caused by excessive relaxation of the anal sphincter, surgical treatment can be considered. If it is due to other neurogenic changes, active treatment of the primary disease is needed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
50sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Hong Mei
Neurology
1min 2sec home-news-image

What causes sudden fainting and loss of bladder/bowel control?

Sudden fainting and incontinence may be due to a sharp decrease in blood pressure, a sudden reduction in cardiac output, and widespread insufficiency in brain artery supply. It is related to cardiogenic syncope, cerebrogenic syncope, and vasovagal inhibitory syncope. This is caused by a temporary sudden decrease in cerebral blood flow, resulting in insufficient blood and oxygen supply to the brain, which leads to suppression of the reticular activating system and loss of consciousness and incontinence. Further actions should include ambulatory electrocardiograms, dynamic blood pressure monitoring, dynamic electroencephalograms, cranial magnetic resonance imaging, and vascular imaging to clarify the cause of the syncope. Further tests should include complete blood count, liver function tests, kidney function tests, and electrocardiograms.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Shuai
Urology
51sec home-news-image

Symptoms of urinary incontinence in women

Urinary incontinence primarily refers to the uncontrolled leakage of urine from the urethra. In female patients, stress incontinence and urge incontinence are more common. Urge incontinence is often seen in acute cystitis. In such cases, there are evident symptoms of urinary urgency, and severe cases can lead to incontinence. Stress incontinence, on the other hand, is more common among women who have given birth. It mainly occurs when coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, laughing, or any other action that increases abdominal pressure, causing urine to leak from the urethra. Mild stress incontinence can be improved through exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and the detrusor muscle. For moderate to severe stress incontinence, it is recommended to consider surgical treatment as soon as possible.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Heng
Colorectal Surgery
1min 20sec home-news-image

How is fecal incontinence treated with Chinese medicine?

How is bowel incontinence treated with Chinese medicine? Bowel incontinence, also known as anal incontinence, refers to the inability to voluntarily control bowel movements or gas due to various reasons, leading to autonomous control issues at the anus. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), treatment is divided into herbal medicine therapies and non-medicinal treatments. Herbal medicine treatment can be classified into several types, primarily the Qi Deficiency and Sinking type and the Spleen and Kidney Deficiency type. Each type utilizes different herbs. The Qi Deficiency and Sinking type, characterized by inability to control bowel movement and gas, anal prolapse, fatigue, poor appetite, a thin white tongue coating, and a fine pulse, is typically treated with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang. The Spleen and Kidney Deficiency type, which includes symptoms such as difficulty in controlling bowel and gas, sensation of dullness, dizziness, tinnitus, sore waist and knees, a thin white tongue coating, and a weak and fine pulse, is mainly treated with Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan, with an added dose of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, indicating a somewhat more severe condition compared to the Qi Deficiency and Sinking type. Medications should be used under the guidance of a physician.