What Are the Causes of Urine Leakage and How to Control it?

Urinary incontinence – or accidental leakage of urine – is not a pleasant condition. It can occur for a number of reasons, such as older age, pregnancy and childbirth, surgery, obesity, urinary tract infections, or a chronic cough. If you are leaking urine after urination as a male or leaking urine after urination as a female, it may be possible that you have urinary incontinence.

Urinary Incontinence

Studies show, 15% of men and 37% of women in Australia experience urinal leakage, or incontinence, at some stage in their life.

Stress Incontinence is one of the most common types of Urinary Incontinence. It is a condition where urine leaks out when the sufferer sneezes, coughs, laughs, lifts something, plays sport, or does exercise. These activities create an increase in pressure in the abdomen, which then pushes down on the bladder causing leakage.

Stress Incontinence is more common in women due to pregnancy and childbirth, as the pelvic flow muscles that support the urethra is weakened. However, this type of urinary incontinence can also be present in men after prostate surgery.

Types of Urinary Incontinence

The main types of urinary leakage include:

  • Urge Incontinence: When the bladder contracts at the wrong time giving you the feeling that you have to urinate.
  • Overflow Incontinence: Caused by the leakage of urine from an overly full bladder
  • Stress Incontinence

Causes of Urine Incontinence

The main cause of urinary leakage in men and urinary leakage in women include:

  • Childbirth
  • Prostate Removal Surgery
  • Infections (For Example, Urinary Tract Infections)
  • Medication
  • Ageing
  • Neurological Disorders (For Example, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis)
  • Nerve Damage
  • Spinal Cord Injury

Stress Incontinence Management

When someone suffers from stress incontinence management, it can heavily impact their quality of life. There are a range of non-surgical treatments you can perform and foods to avoid to help control and stop urinary leakage or incontinence.

Food and Drinks to Avoid During Urinary Incontinence

While some foods may be good for you, there are some that should be avoided while managing Urine Leakage. The same goes with drinks, as many can irritate the bladder and make the incontinence worse.

Foods to avoid:

  • Highly acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus fruits.
  • Foods and dishes that are very spicy, such as hot curries or peppers, chilli and horseradish.
  • Chocolate, sugar, honey, and artificial sweeteners can also worsen incontinence.

Drinks to avoid:

  • Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and some soft drinks
  • Alcoholic drinks such as wine, beer, cider, and spirits
  • Carbonated / fizzy soft drinks
  • Citrus juices

Non-Surgical Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

Treatment for Urinary Incontinence does not have to be invasive. There are a range of non-surgical treatments and tips you can do for stress incontinence management. As well as monitoring what you eat and drink, there are other precautions you can take to help minimise the problem. To minimise the problem, you can:

  • Perform pelvic floor strengthening exercises
  • Lose weight if required
  • Perform regular exercise
  • Maintain a healthy diet overall
  • Develop good toilet habits and bladder training
  • Quit smoking
  • Get prompt treatments where necessary

Stress Urinary Incontinence Treatment

If changing your diet and performing non-surgical treatments do not help subside the issue, you may need to seek the help of a doctor to assess your case of Urinary Leakage.

The best treatment for bladder leakage will be dependent on your situation. If your issue is minor, your doctor will most likely provide you with Overactive Bladder Medication. However, if the medication is unsuccessful, urinary incontinence treatment for elderly and adults are reaadily available.

There many options on how to stop urine leakage:

Sub-Urethral Sling Surgery The sling forms a ‘cradle’ for the urethra which helps to reduce leakage. This procedure requires minimal surgery and only involves a short day or overnight stay at the hospital. This treatment has a very high success rate in stopping and to control urine leakage to improve the quality of life for patients. As there are several types of sling surgeries available, it’s important to have a discussion with their doctor as to which option would suit their condition.
Artificial Sphincter (Male Specific) This treatment involves implanting a biocompatible silicon device that is composed of a reservoir, cuff, and pump – with the cuff acting as a replacement sphincter. This may suit men with a moderate-to-severe incontinence problem, and usually requires a 24-hour stay in the hospital.
Botox Injection Therapy Botox therapy works by reducing the ability of the bladder muscle to contract by interfering with the chemical signalling between nerves and muscles. The Botox medication is injected directly into the bladder muscle under local anaesthetic by the passage of a small telescope into the bladder.

At Katelaris Urology, we are here to help with any issues you have relating to Urinary Incontinence. With our range of treatments, we will be able to find one that suits your unique situation. To enquire now or get a second opinion today, you can contact us here.