All you need to know about urinary incontinence

Whether you are experiencing temporary or more persistent forms of urinary incontinence, one thing’s for sure…you’re not alone! According to the NHS, incontinence is an issue thought to affect millions of people across the globe. Urinary incontinence can be caused by factors including age, genetics and physical issues, to the food and drinks you’re consuming on a regular basis. We’re here to answer FAQs on this topic, including the different types of incontinence, what can cause it and how your symptoms could be managed.

What is urinary incontinence?

Curious to know what urinary incontinence actually is? Well, it’s defined as the loss of bladder control, causing the unintentional passing of urine. While it’s extremely common for both men and women to have a weak bladder at times, urinary incontinence is more common in women due to factors like pregnancy, childbirth and the menopause. However, the symptoms, causes and severity can range from person to person.

What causes urinary incontinence?

Many factors can cause or even worsen symptoms of urinary incontinence. If you’re experiencing temporary bouts of incontinence, you might want to look at the food and drink you are consuming. Diuretics such as tea, coffee and alcohol stimulate the bladder and are some of the main culprits in increasing your urge to use the loo. Also, certain medications and physical issues including constipation and infections can also bring on temporary bladder weakness.

If you’ve been experiencing persistent incontinence for a longer stretches of time, this could be down to physical issues or bodily changes such as age, pregnancy, menopause and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

What are the types of urinary incontinence?

Stress incontinence

This type occurs when pressure is being exerted on your bladder through actions like coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy items or laughing. Stress incontinence is common in women who have given birth, because of the pelvic floor muscles weakening.

Urge incontinence

Urge incontinence describes the sudden urge to urinate, which causes you to pass urine (from small dribbles to a full emptying of the bladder) with little to no warning. Factors like drinking too much liquid, having an enlarged prostate or urinary tract infection can cause this type of incontinence.

Mixed incontinence

Mixed incontinence refers to when you are experiencing both stress and urge incontinence at the same time.

Overflow incontinence

Overflow incontinence occurs when your bladder is unable to fully empty itself, which causes it to fill up with urine at a faster rate, leading to frequent leakages. Again, this type of incontinence can be caused by an enlarged prostate that is obstructing the urethra (the tube that urines passes through before leaving the body) and is most commonly found in men.

Functional incontinence

When you feel the need to urinate, but a physical impairment doesn’t allow you to reach the toilet in time. Being wheelchair bound, elderly, having impaired vision, or having an inaccessible toilet can all cause this type of incontinence.

Total incontinence

Total incontinence is caused by the bladder’s inability to store urine, meaning you constantly need to release it.

How to live with urinary incontinence

Whether you have noticed signs of urinary incontinence or have been struggling with this issue for some time, there is no need to suffer in silence. Speaking to a doctor or qualified professional in this field is the best way forward. They will be there to offer a listening ear, as well as the most appropriate forms of treatment and advice for your symptoms. They may recommend everything from pelvic floor training, medication or changes to your daily life as a way of combatting the issue.

At Savers, we understand that urinary incontinence can create barriers in your daily life, and we want to minimise this as much as possible with the products we have on offer. To help you go about your day-to-day life without worries about leakages and where the nearest toilet is, we have a dedicated incontinence section online and instore. For lighter leakages, we have a range of sanitary pads (with or without wings) from brands like Tena and Always, that’ll give you protection you can rely on. If you have heavier leaks, we’ve also got a range of discreet pull up pants for both men and women that offer unbeatable day and night protection.

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