How Urinary incontinence Can Ruin Your Social Life

Many people who do not experience it cannot understand the impact of urinary incontinence on the social life of the sufferer. But, here are some facts to consider:  

-         More than 50% of people do not report suffering from urinary incontinence, ever 

-         Urinary incontinence plays a vital role in the decision to institutionalize an elderly person 

-         The management of urinary incontinence is highly expensive accounting for more than 2% of health-care costs in the US (which roughly translates to $3,900+ per person) 

It is obvious that urinary incontinence can play havoc with a person’s social life. Sufferers almost always report that incontinence chips away at their self-confidence and self-respect. The fear of being caught or leaving trails or obnoxious scents make them withdraw from society. Also, there is the constant fear that friends and relatives may react with revulsion if a person admits to suffering from urinary incontinence. As a result, sufferers of urinary incontinence are trapped in a cauldron of negative feelings that feed upon their psyche. It doesn’t help that much of what they fear does, in fact, translate into reality in the long run. 

UI can directly interfere with a couple’s sex life as the sufferer struggles to hide their condition from the partner. Even otherwise, the very act of penetration may lead to accidental leaks. In many people, the troublesome urge to urinate several times in the night leads to sleep-deprivation. This in turn makes the sufferer grouchy and irritated.  

Urinary incontinence affects the social life of sufferers in other ways too. Activities that put pressure on the bladder have to be avoided. So, sufferers may find themselves unable to exercise or enjoy physical activities. It makes sufferers afraid of regular social interactions. Some people say that they have had to forego simple pleasures like going to the theatre or the mall, simply because they cannot resist the urge long enough to reach a toilet. Urinary incontinence can lead to secondary infections, which disrupt the social life of sufferers.   

Urinary incontinence is not something that people feel they can talk about because there is a lot of stigma attached to it. Effective management is the only way to enjoy a healthy social life in spite of urinary incontinence.