Nearly 5% of American Men Suffer From Urinary Incontinence, A recent study had found.

Major depression, hypertension, enlarged prostates, and older age are all associated with an increased risk of moderate to severe urinary incontinence (UI) in men, a large study suggests.

The findings, which provide one of the first snapshots of urinary incontinence in men, may help improve doctors’ ability to identify men who are suffering from the condition, says study head Alayne Markland, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Overall, 4.5% of American men were found to experience moderate to severe urinary incontinence, which corresponds to having leakage at least once a month, the study showed.

The rate increases with age, from 0.7% in men ages 20 to 34 to 16% in men age 75 and older, the study showed.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.

Studies suggested that urinary incontinence is less common among men than women, but there was felt to be a lack of data on Urinary Incontinence and risk factors in men, Dr. Markland felt.

So she and colleagues analyzed data from 5,297 men aged 20 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population.

Men were interviewed in their homes, and Urinary Incontinence was assessed using the 12-point Incontinence Severity Index in which participants are asked if they leak and if so, how much and how often. Moderate to severe Urinary Incontinence was defined as a score of 3 or higher.

Among all the men, major depression and hypertension were associated with a 2.6-fold and a 30% increased risk of moderate to severe UI, respectively.

Each 10-year increase in age was associated with an 80% increased risk.

Among the 3,010 men aged 40 and older, enlarged prostate — called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — was associated with a 20% greater chance of having moderate to severe UI.

The rate of moderate to severe Urinary Incontinence did not differ by race or ethnicity.

A total of 49% of the men had what is known as urge urinary incontinence, in which you feel like you have to go but can’t get to the bathroom in time, Dr. Markland said. Thirteen percent had stress urinary incontinence, which occurs when an activity, such as coughing or sneezing, causes a small amount of urine to leak. The rest had a combination.
BPH a Known Cause of Urinary Incontinence

BPH is a well-known cause of UI, says Ira Sharlip, MD, clinical professor of urology at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Nightly bathroom runs may be the first sign of an enlarged prostate, other symptoms may include trouble starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling” says Dr. Sharlip, who was not involved with the study.

That’s because an can press against the urethra (the tube that carries urine out the body) and block the flow of urine. This causes the bladder wall to become irritable. The bladder begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination.

More research is needed to find out why depression and hypertension are associated with higher rates of UI, Dr. Markland said.

Medications called diuretics that are often used to treat may play a role, she says. They flush excess fluid from the body and can cause frequent urination.

Some of the drugs used to treat depression may also cause UI, Sharlip says.

“Urinary incontinence is something people don’t want to talk about,” says Lauren P. Wallner, PhD, MPH, a research fellow in the department of urology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

“If you’re having symptoms, bring it to the attention of your Doctor or Health professional as it can often be treated with medication, behavioral therapy and, in severe cases, surgery,” she said.

Although it might not be a subject you want to think about, if you are dealing with incontinence, the one thing you should not do is ignore it. Many have the incorrect assumption that nothing can be done to improve the condition but that is far from accurate.
Incontinence is the involuntary loss of bladder or bowel control, i.e. the loss of the ability to determine when and where urination and/or bowel movements may occur. Although rarely discussed it is actually a very common disorder experienced by as many as 6 million men and women of all ages.

Many find it difficult to manage, leading to frustration and even isolation and depression in the worse cases. Yet, incontinence is not a disease, but rather a symptom of underlying conditions that affect men and women of all ages and backgrounds.

The many causes of incontinence include pregnancy, surgery, infections or even just being overweight. It also can be triggered by a variety of other diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and even diabetes.
There are also different types of incontinence:
• Stress incontinence: A small amount of urine is released by such everyday physical activities even ones as basic as, coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is generally due to weakened pelvic floor muscles and in many cases can be easily treated by activities such as pelvic floor exercises.

• Urge incontinence: The urge to urinate comes on so suddenly that it is impossible to reach a toilet in time. This generally results in larger losses than stress incontinence. Bladder re-training may help improve this condition.

• Overflow incontinence: The bladder is constantly filled, causing it to release small amounts of urine frequently.

• Reflex incontinence: The absence of bladder control is due to impaired nerve function. This is often linked to other diseases.

• Faecal Incontinence: Impaired rectal sensation or muscle control results in the loss of faeces (stools) or the staining of underclothes.

We always advocate discussing the symptoms with your own health professional as they are best placed to diagnose your own symptoms and condition and recommend appropriate treatments.

Urinary incontinence products should effectively deal with the leakage of urine no matter whether the incontinence experienced is mild, moderate or severe.

Incontinence pad choice can be difficult because it depends on many factors. Obviously , the quantity of urine loss is the largest factor, but with so many products on the market today other factors can also taken into consideration.

Also important is ease of use, and also your lifestyle and mobility level. The best female incontinence pad might not be a good solution for someone experiencing male incontinence.
Odour control is also essential, and virtually all disposable products have this feature nowadays. Due to their re-usable nature, Washable products do not feature odour contol, and are really only suitable for lighter urinary incontinence. The cost, comfort and durability of incontinence products, all to come into the equation.

The exploration of these factors is crucial for you to find the best incontinence products for your needs.

Learning about bladder weakness can help you manage it better. You’ll also learn that there’s a lot of misunderstandings and myths about bladder weakness. For example, you probably didn’t realise just how common it is. We listed 6 of the most common facts and myths so you have a better understanding of bladder weakness and how common it is and how it can easily be managed.

Bladder weakness basically means you’re unclean

This is a myth. No one should have to feel damp or unclean. The most usual way to avoid this is to use a bladder weakness protection product, which ensures dryness by locking urine and odour away from the body for complete freshness and discretion.

It has nothing to do with virility

Actually, this is true. Bladder weakness in itself does not affect virility, and leakage doesn’t usually happen during sex. So, unless you’ve experienced nerve damage due to surgery or have other underlying problems, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy a full and happy sex life.

No one I know has bladder weakness

Bladder weakness is surprisingly common, with 1 in 8 men experiencing it, so you may well know someone who has it. Perhaps they’ve just chosen to keep it to themselves and have discovered products that provide total security and discretion.

If you really try, you can control it

This is a false affirmation. No one is deliberately incontinent. There are numerous causes and types of bladder weakness, and there are incontinence products especially designed so that men can manage the situation and get on with their lives.

Bladder weakness means you can’t drive long distances

With the right protection you can drive wherever and whenever you like. So rip up the map and go explore. There’s no need to worry about unexpected traffic jams or not being near a toilet.

Bladder weakness is a sign of old age

Another myth about male incontinence – just like women, millions of men experience bladder weakness at some time during their life, often when they’re under 50.

Got questions about male incontinence and bladder weakness? Leave them on our comments section below or if you prefer to ask in confidence then you can email our Nurse specialist Shona, by clicking on the link below, we will endeavour to answer your questions as quickly as possible but if the answer is complex then we may need to ask you some specific questions before a response is given.

Ask Shona
Please note that all advice can only be considered as an opinion based upon the information you supply and that we are unable to provide any form of diagnosis or advice specific to your condition. We highly recommend that you always consult your GP, Practice Nurse or Continence Advisor.

Incontinence, as we all know is a common treatable medical condition that affects man and women. Every now and then, incontinence makes the headlines of major news sources, be it a revolutionary new treatment or a celebrity that comes forward to talk his or her incontinence experiences.

The headline this time was about an incontinence treatment used for over 30 years to restore urinary incontinence in almost 130,000 men around the world, and it has finally being approved in Japan.

The AMS 800 is an artificial sphincter which is implanted and completely concealed inside the patient’s body. This Gold Standard treatment has been tested in Japan since 2004 and according to a survey by the Japanese Urological Association, approximately 16,000 radical prostatectomy’s were performed with a high success rate which led to the approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

You might be asking, so what? this incontinence treatment is now available to Japanese men suffering from Urinary Incontinence. The point here is, in today’s world where any novelties or breakthroughs spread to all corners of the globe with lighting speed, only now after 30 years of success this treatment has been approved by the Japanese Medical authorities.

On Monday, we discussed the effectiveness of invasive operations in the treatment of urinary incontinence. We based our discussion on a study that compared the effectiveness of less invasive procedures to traditional open surgery and other surgical approaches.

Today we would like to talk about an invasive procedure to treat prostate cancer that can increase the chances of post-sugary incontinence. A less invasive robotic surgery used in the treatment of prostate cancer is being related to male incontinence and erectile dysfunctions.

Men who had this surgery have greater chances of becoming incontinent than men who had conventional open surgery, says a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

However, the newer technique cuts patients’ hospital stays, requires far fewer blood transfusions, and carries less than half the risk of leaving behind scar tissue necessitating a second surgery.

That is one of the reasons why you should always ask for second medical opinion in cases like this.

Incontinence is more common in women than in men, but there is a type of incontinence that is prevalent in older men and very rare in women. With this condition patients never feel the urge to urinate, the bladder never empties and small amounts of urine leak continuously, this condition is called Overflow incontinence.

The reason it is more common is men as it is often related to enlarged prostate, which is situated just underneath the bladder. The urine outflow tube passes through the middle of the prostate, and any enlargement of this gland presses on the urethra (urine tube). This makes it difficult for the bladder to empty and fill up completely, and a pool of urine constantly remains in the bladder.

In this article we look into symptoms, causes and diagnosis of overflow incontinence in a simple and easy way to give you a better understanding of this type incontinence.

Symptoms or Signs:

Bladder never feels empty
Frequent night time urinate
Inability to void, even when the urge is felt
Urine dribbles, even after voiding

Causes:

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; enlarged prostate)
Neurogenic bladder (underactive)
Tumours
Urinary stones

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves identifying the type and severity of the disorder. Based on the information obtained, doctors may prescribe one or more diagnostic procedures.

For more information and advice on overflow incontinence contact Allanda or if you wish to ask a personal question in private then ask our Nurse Shona, who specialises in incontinence care.