Overcoming Male Incontinence

Incontinence is a difficult subject to broach, and in many cases it is a problem that men suffer in silence, too embarrassed to discuss with their doctor and mortified at the thought of their friends and family finding out. Incontinence is an 'invisible problem' swept under the floor mat of social convention. Quite simply it is something that is not discussed and advice is not readily available on. So this article breaks the social mold a little by giving a grounding in male incontinence, what it is, what types can be experienced and most importantly what you can do about it.

What is Incontinence?

Incontinence can effect either the urinary tract or the bowels. Urinary incontinence results in involuntary leakage of urine from the penis. Bowel Incontinence can either lead to involuntary flatulence or involuntary bowel motions. Obviously neither form is desirable and both can cause acute social embarrassment. For this reason many men will not seek medical assistance and become increasingly reclusive as the situation worsens.

What Types Of Male Incontinence Are There?

• Urge Incontinence - This form of incontinence is marked by the sudden and uncontrollable urge to urinate. Usually there will be insufficient time to get to the bathroom before urine leakage occurs.


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  Stress Incontinence - This form of incontinence is caused by pressure being placed on the bladder. It does not refer to emotional stress, only the physical stress on the bladder which leads to involuntary leakage of urine. Stress Incontinence can occur when lifting heavy objects, coughing, sneezing and even laughing.


• Overflow Incontinence - This is a result of the brain not receiving and sending the correct signals from a full bladder. As the name implies the bladder becomes full and cannot support any more liquid. The resulting overflow leads to leaking of urine.

What Can Be Done To Treat Male Incontinence?

There are a number of treatments that can be tried depending on the severity and frequency of the individuals symptoms. The most important step is actually acknowledging the problem, and though this can be very embarrassing it is critical. No treatment can begin where the doctor is not aware of the problem and sometimes once the problem is known the solution is very simple.

Usually the first step will be a urine analysis. This is to look for any infection in the urine and where this is found the problem may be cleared up with something as simple as a course of antibiotics. It's an incredibly simple solution to a problem that some people will suffer in silence for years and allow to effect their entire lives.

If an infection is not the problem there are still a number of possible options. Kegel Exercises may be prescribed to rebuild the strength of the Pelvic muscles, and liquid intake may be monitored and controlled. Where the standard treatments are not successful it is possible that surgery will be used. Surgery has a very high success rate but because it is an invasive treatment is usually not tried unless all other options have been exhausted.