Stress incontinence is a form of incontinence caused by pressure or stress being placed on the bladder. If you sneeze, laugh, lift something heavy or physically exert yourself, then stress incontinence can cause your bladder to leak, soiling your undergarments.
This should not be confused with psychological stress, which is caused by a number of factors and does not contribute to a loss of bladder control. This form of incontinence deals strictly with physical factors that are putting pressure on the bladder.
Many people who suffer from incontinence first realize that they have this problem when they leak during some form of physical exertion. They may isolate themselves and try to avoid any physical activity for fear that they will leak themselves, but there is treatment for stress-related incontinence.
We are going to discuss some options for stress incontinence treatment that can be effective at relieving the symptoms, controlling the leakage and solving the root of the problem.
The treatment for this kind of incontinence is dependent on the cause of the problem. The incontinence is only the symptom, but it could be caused by obesity, poor dieting choices, genetic problems some sort of disease or nerve damage.
If the issue is caused by obesity, then the stress incontinence treatment may be to lose weight through dieting and exercise. Doctors may also prescribe medication or surgery in some extreme cases.
For stress incontinence caused by genetic issues, medical experts may use medication and dietary changes to control the symptoms.They may never be able to cure the problem, but those changes can help to manage the issue.
When the incontinence is caused by eating the wrong things or consuming too much of certain beverages, the doctor will usually recommend that the patient simply avoid certain foods and make changes to their diet. Once again, in extreme cases, surgery may be the best solution, but usually much more minor changes are enough to get the problem under control.
Incontinence caused by nerve damage, such as following pregnancy or surgery, can be treated using muscle exercises (like Kegels). Muscle stimulation and medication can also help to treat this issue, and this can be one of the more troublesome versions of incontinence to treat.
If the problem is due to a specific disease, then the stress incontinence treatment will be to deal with the disease. Diseases that commonly lead to stress incontinence are diabetes, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and kidney disease, among others. All of these are going to be treated differently, and in some cases, there is a cure for the problem, but it may take time. Once the disease has been successfully treated, the incontinence may go away. In the interim, however, the doctor may suggest that the patient wear incontinence pads or some other form of leakage management product. This can absorb much of the urine that leaks out and help the patient to live a normal life.
Modern incontinence products are very discreet and diverse enough to meet any bladder control needs, no matter how light or how heavy the leakage is.
The stress incontinence treatment options are as diverse as the reason for the incontinence. A different treatment method is required for just about every cause, and that is why it is important that anyone who is struggling with incontinence or who thinks they may have this problem should be diagnosed by a medical professional.
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