Types of Bowel and Urinary Incontinence
The loss of bowel or bladder control, otherwise known as bowel or urinary incontinence, is an uncomfortable affliction for women and men. Even though incontinence is most associated with and is more common in older people, younger adults can struggle with symptoms too. The good news is incontinence is not inevitable if you understand the various types and causes and follow a lifestyle regimen aimed at minimizing them.
Many of the symptoms of bowel or urinary incontinence can be managed with dietary or other lifestyle changes or, if needed, medical treatment. Understanding your specific symptoms is important to figuring out the actions you should take to address incontinence. The types of bowel and urinary incontinence differ; below is a short description of each.
The types of urinary incontinence include:
Stress incontinence: Urine leaks by exertion of pressure on the bladder due to activities like lifting heavy items, sneezing, coughing, laughing or exercising.
Urge incontinence: A sudden urge to urinate precedes an involuntary loss of urine. The feeling of having to urinate often, including at night, is common. Urge incontinence can be caused by a urinary infection, or more acute conditions such as diabetes or neurological disorders
Overflow incontinence: Frequent or constant dribbling of urine in between bathroom visits due to a bladder that doesn't empty completely.
Functional incontinence: Physical or mental issues impede the ability to get to the bathroom or get clothes off in time. An example would be, if the person is in a wheelchair, is severely overweight or has other mobility issues, they will have a harder time getting to the bathroom in time.
Mixed incontinence: Struggling with more than one type of urinary incontinence, usually a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
The types of bowel incontinence include:
Urge Incontinence: The person feels the urge to go but cannot stop or control it before reaching a bathroom.
Passive Incontinence: The person does not feel any urge and can be completely unaware they need to go to the bathroom.
Bowel and urinary incontinence can also be temporary or more permanent. Age and genetics do play roles, but so do lifestyle and dietary choices people make every day.
People with diets that include incontinence triggers like sugar, carbonated drinks, chocolate, citrus fruits; being overweight, lack of exercise or heavy usage of alcohol, tobacco or caffeine can be vulnerable to developing new symptoms of urinary incontinence or causing a worsening of their condition. Drinking plenty of fluids each day and eating foods rich in fiber are also recommended.
To handle the potential accidents that can occur with symptoms of bowel or urinary incontinence, adult underwear products can be a good solution and provide a level of confidence and comfort for the person. Please visit our shop to find the incontinence underwear, ABDL diapers, washcloths and skin relief balm that fit you best.