Leak prevention

Understanding urinary incontinence

Raise your hand if you are one of the roughly 3.5 million Canadians over 40 who experience urinary incontinence, defined as accidental leakage of urine. If you didn’t raise your hand, that’s part of the problem, because only about a quarter of those with the condition have discussed it with their doctor. Although not life-threatening, incontinence can a ect a person’s physical, social and emotional health and cause stress, embarrassment and loneliness.

The condition is divided into four general categories: stress incontinence, when urine leaks because of pressure on the bladder such as when coughing or sneezing; urge incontinence, when the bladder contracts (overactive bladder) and causes the need to urinate to come on too fast; overflow incontinence, when an overfilled bladder causes a constant dribbling; and functional incontinence, when urine control is normal but mobility issues make it di cult to get to the bathroom in time.

Childbirth, menopause and obesity are factors in stress incontinence, which affects twice as many women as men. In men, an enlarged prostate, a gland that’s situated under the bladder, can cause overflow incontinence.

The type of incontinence influences the choice of treatment. Non-drug treatments can involve Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles; bladder training to gradually lengthen the time between going to the bathroom; weight loss; and surgery.

Some medications work by preventing the bladder from contracting. Estrogen for women can help thicken the tissues involved. Medications for men can improve urine flow, such as by reducing the size of an enlarged prostate.

Having learned all this, the most important thing to do is seek help, because it is available.

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