Stress incontinence is the most common form of urinary incontinence in women. It is estimated that 10 - 20% of all women are struggling with this.
What is stress incontinence?
Stress incontinence is the most common form of urinary incontinence. It is characterized by involuntary urine leaks when coughing, laughing, lifting heavy, sneezing and other activities or movements where tightens bukpressen / abdominal muscles.
What causes it?
These are usually the muscles, tendons, nerves and tissues in the pelvic area that surrounds the urinary bladder, and urethra are weakened. Pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, obesity and chronic constipation, chronic cough, menopause and aging are among the factors that may contribute to the development of stress incontinence.
Who is affected by stress incontinence?
It is believed that at least 1 in 10 women are in need of treatment stress incontinence. However, here there is uncertainty. Many women do not go to the doctor with their problems, but solve the leakage problem by obtaining pads or diapers.
Men also suffer from stress incontinence, particularly after operations on the prostate.
Can it sometimes heal by itself?
Yes. Sometimes stress incontinence is transient. Many cases of stress incontinence caused by conditions that can be treated or are transitory. Urinary tract infections, constipation, and medicines are among the causes of stress incontinence that is often temporary.
What problems have stress incontinence?
Most people are anxious for odors, afraid that others will notice that they use pads / diapers, and stains on clothing. Several independent surveys confirm this.
They are often afraid to have accidental leaks at inappropriate times.
As a result, many ending in activities they previously enjoyed: social activities with friends, exercise, dance, and even play with children or grandchildren. They may pull away from sexual activities and reject overtures, in fear of leaking urine during sexual activities. This can be perceived by your partner as if she no longer interested in him. Urine leaks may also lead to depression and isolation, and bring with it a host of other negative emotions of shame and low self-esteem.
Myths about stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is a disease of old ladies and is a natural part of getting older. This is incorrect. Women of all ages can have stress incontinence, and it is not a normal condition.
Stress incontinence cannot be processed. Wrong. Stress incontinence may, in fact, in most cases either improved or healed completely.
Stress incontinence affects only women. Wrong. Men also suffer from this.
Whom to consult?
There are many doctors who can treat urinary incontinence. The obvious first step is to go to your doctor. He or she will study, and after setting the essential questions and made the necessary tests, consider whether you should be referred to a specialist. This will be either a gynecologist or a urologist.
What treatment options are there?
Custom pads, medication, lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises, bladder training, electrical stimulation, medications, and surgery ringpessar are among the many treatment options.
Absorbent pads
There are many different types of absorbent pads and diapers, which are specifically designed for those with urinary incontinence. These are good tools, and for those with only small leaks may be satisfactory. They do nothing about the cause of your incontinence.
Medications
The drug duloxetine (Yentreve) is a new treatment that helps with stress incontinence. The medicine helps in some already by year ¨ n week. Read more here. Towards the overactive bladder drug, Detrusitol may be an option.
Vaginal Posts
There are devices that can be inserted into the vagina and lift the urethra, eg. The material Conveen. This can help - at least in anticipation of surgery.
Behaviour Change
Changing their fluid intake: Reduce the intake of diuretic drinks such as coffee, tea and alcohol. Some also think it helps to cut down on spices, chocolate, artificial sweeteners, tomatoes and citrus fruits. Read more here.
Pelvic floor exercises
This is a very important part of treatment. Pelvic floor exercises do something about the cause of the leaks: namely, the weakening of muscles.
Through the pelvic floor, exercises do you do pelvic floor muscles strong and helps keep the bladder and nearby organs in the abdominal cavity. Sometimes women need the help of electrical stimulation or biofeedback to identify and gain control over pelvic floor muscles You can read more about pelvic floor exercises here.
Bladder training:
By emptying the bladder regularly trained bladder up too. You can read more about bladder training here.
Is there medication that helps?
The most common drug is the replacement of the female hormone, estrogen.
Estrogen
stimulates blood flow to the pelvic area, making the muscles strong and mucosal, thick and juicy. After menopause, the ovaries stop producing estrogen. Then the mucous membranes thin and dry / sore and muscles deteriorate easily.
Stress incontinence is a disease of old ladies and is a natural part of getting older. This is incorrect. Women of all ages can have stress incontinence, and it is not a normal condition.
Stress incontinence cannot be processed. Wrong. Stress incontinence may, in fact, in most cases either improved or healed completely.
Stress incontinence affects only women. Wrong. Men also suffer from this.
Whom to consult?
There are many doctors who can treat urinary incontinence. The obvious first step is to go to your doctor. He or she will study, and after setting the essential questions and made the necessary tests, consider whether you should be referred to a specialist. This will be either a gynecologist or a urologist.
What treatment options are there?
Custom pads, medication, lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises, bladder training, electrical stimulation, medications, and surgery ringpessar are among the many treatment options.
Absorbent pads
There are many different types of absorbent pads and diapers, which are specifically designed for those with urinary incontinence. These are good tools, and for those with only small leaks may be satisfactory. They do nothing about the cause of your incontinence.
Medications
The drug duloxetine (Yentreve) is a new treatment that helps with stress incontinence. The medicine helps in some already by year ¨ n week. Read more here. Towards the overactive bladder drug, Detrusitol may be an option.
Vaginal Posts
There are devices that can be inserted into the vagina and lift the urethra, eg. The material Conveen. This can help - at least in anticipation of surgery.
Behaviour Change
Changing their fluid intake: Reduce the intake of diuretic drinks such as coffee, tea and alcohol. Some also think it helps to cut down on spices, chocolate, artificial sweeteners, tomatoes and citrus fruits. Read more here.
Pelvic floor exercises
This is a very important part of treatment. Pelvic floor exercises do something about the cause of the leaks: namely, the weakening of muscles.
Through the pelvic floor, exercises do you do pelvic floor muscles strong and helps keep the bladder and nearby organs in the abdominal cavity. Sometimes women need the help of electrical stimulation or biofeedback to identify and gain control over pelvic floor muscles You can read more about pelvic floor exercises here.
Bladder training:
By emptying the bladder regularly trained bladder up too. You can read more about bladder training here.
Is there medication that helps?
The most common drug is the replacement of the female hormone, estrogen.
Estrogen
stimulates blood flow to the pelvic area, making the muscles strong and mucosal, thick and juicy. After menopause, the ovaries stop producing estrogen. Then the mucous membranes thin and dry / sore and muscles deteriorate easily.
You can read more about menopause and urinary incontinence here.
You can read more about hormone-replacement therapy during menopause here.
Surgery:
All sorts of operations for stress incontinence involve the same: To support the bladder / urethra, and get them in the correct position of the pelvic floor muscles. Of the common types of surgery are bladder neck suspension, where the bladder neck is lifted up and secured in position. There may be loops of tissue around the bladder neck to help keep the sphincter closed.
American figures show that about 50% of patients are cured of urinary incontinence by surgery, 25% improved, while 25% do not experience any improvement. For stress incontinence, the figures are better, Ca. 80% are cured!
TVT
TVT is the abbreviation for "Tension free vaginal tape." This new method of surgery has become almost supreme as operating against urinary incontinence in the vast majority of hospitals.
Unlike previous operations, it may occur in only a local anesthetic, and it also means that it can be done outpatient (ie in and out the same day).
The surgeons enter through a small opening in the anterior vaginal wall. Behind the urethra puts the loosely into a tape made by Prol. Both ends pulled up against the abdomen just behind the pubic bone.
During the procedure, the patient is awake; it also has another advantage: By asking the patient cough with full bladder, this band is tightened up control of leakage has been achieved.
Operating time is short: only approx. 20 minutes.
Investigation of this method of surgery is estimated that approx. 85% gets rid of his urine leakage. A few (less than 5%) have difficulty emptying the bladder after surgery. There is otherwise little complications associated with surgery.
The operation is simple and can be performed on most patients regardless of age and health.
Who should have surgery?
Surgery is rarely the first choice of treatment. First, we see if we can get to your goal with others, so-called non-invasive treatment methods. If it does not help, your doctor will work with you whether you should operate.
Ringpessar:
A ringpessar is a fairly stiff rubber ring that is inserted into the vagina and helps hold up the bladder in place and keep the urethra closed. Such a call must be adapted and inserted the first time by a doctor. Most relevant for women who experience problems with urinary incontinence due to the sunken uterus.