Urge Urinary Incontinence Treatment

The process of urination involves two stages – filling and emptying. When the bladder is filling, it stretches to accommodate the incoming fluid. A normal person can hold between 300-550 ml of urine in the bladder, though they may start feeling the urge to empty it when the bladder contains 200 ml of urine or more. When it is time to empty urine, the muscles in the sphincter receive the message to relax so that urine can flow out without obtrusion. This is the normal process.  

In urge urinary incontinence, the muscles in the bladder contract involuntarily and urine leaks out, regardless of the amount of urine present in the bladder at a given point of time. Victims experience an intense urge to urinate and cannot control the escape of urine before they reach the toilet. Ironically, in spite of the leaks and constant urination, sufferers may feel that their bladder is not emptying itself out completely.  

People who suffer from this kind of incontinence feel the irresistible need to empty their bladder in very short intervals of time. Thus, they need to get up several times at night to pass urine and may urinate when they hear stimulus like the sound of falling water.  

The condition is not a disease in itself but is a symptom of some underlying condition or disease. For instance, people who suffer from cancer of the bladder, stones or infection in the bladder or neurological injuries/diseases often experience urge incontinence. In some people, conditions like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or stroke interfere with the proper functioning of the nerves that control the muscles.  

Those most at risk from this kind of urinary incontinence include: 

-         People over the age of 50 

-         Pregnant women 

-         Women who have had vaginal delivery 

-         Menopausal women  

-         People suffering from neurological damage due to surgery or conditions like diabetes 

-         People who suffer from conditions that interfere with the proper function of the nerves 

-         People who are overweight or obese 

-         People suffering from urinary tract infections 

Urge urinary incontinence may be managed very effectively by making simple changes in behavior, lifestyle and routines. Medical intervention should be considered only when all else fails.