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Urinary incontinence — the loss of bladder control — is a common and often embarrassing problem. The severity ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to having an urge to urinate that's so sudden and strong you don't get to a toilet in time.
Treatment for urinary incontinence depends on the type of incontinence, its severity and the underlying cause. A combination of treatments may be needed. If an underlying condition is causing your symptoms, your doctor will first treat that condition.
Fecal incontinence is sometimes called bowel incontinence. Common causes of fecal incontinence include diarrhea, constipation, and muscle or nerve damage. The muscle or nerve damage may be associated with aging or with giving birth.
Stress incontinence happens when certain muscles and other tissues linked to urinating weaken. These include the muscles that support the urethra, called the pelvic floor muscles, and the muscles that control the release of urine, called the urinary sphincter.
For fecal incontinence, some basic questions to ask include: What's likely causing my symptoms? Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible causes for my symptoms?
Treatments for stress incontinence often can greatly reduce, and possibly stop, urine leakage. Some people will still have urine leakage every now and then. Being prepared may help you cope.
Overactive bladder, also called OAB, causes sudden urges to urinate that may be hard to control. There might be a need to pass urine many times during the day and night. There also might be loss of urine that isn't intended, called urgency incontinence. People with an overactive bladder might feel self-conscious.
Stress incontinence can cause leaks when coughing, sneezing or lifting heavy objects. Here's a look at drugs commonly used to treat bladder control problems and their possible side effects. Medications combined with behavioral treatment might be more effective than medication alone.
Those signs and symptoms can include blood in the urine, incontinence, overactive bladder and painful urination. Cystoscopy can also help determine the cause of frequent urinary tract infections. However, cystoscopy generally isn't done while you have an active urinary tract infection.
Stress urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control when you exert pressure on your bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising or lifting something heavy. Usually, stress incontinence can be treated with a number of conservative treatments.