Urinary incontinence is a serious problem because it can cripple a person both emotionally and psychologically. When an elderly woman becomes incontinent, especially if she’s living with her family, her family may decide that she needs to be placed in a nursing home. In my office, women will rarely volunteer information about incontinence, even when I ask them directly. However, I know that the adult diaper business is booming.
There are several types of incontinence that are common among women over 50:
• Stress incontinence occurs when you temporarily lose control of your bladder while laughing, coughing, or sneezing. The primary cause of stress incontinence is weakness of the pelvic muscles.
• Urge incontinence occurs when you suddenly become incontinent for no clear reason. It can be caused by either a urinary tract infection or nerve damage.
• With overflow incontinence, the bladder “overfills” because it never completely empties. Overflow incontinence is usually due to nerve damage in the bladder. The major symptom is constant dripping of urine.
• Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence and is the most common cause of urinary incontinence in women over 50.
If you have any type of urinary incontinence, you can use the acronym DIAPPERS—”diapers” with an extra P—to check for the cause:
D: Delirium that may be caused by pneumonia, irregular heartbeat, or a small stroke
I: Infection of the urinary tract
A: Atrophic vaginitis or urethritis, dropped bladder, prolapsed uterus, and loss of pelvic floor tone and muscle strength
P: Pharmaceuticals, such as diuretics, sedatives, cold preparations, psychotropic medications, or blood pressure pills
P: Psychological agitation or depression
E: Excessive fluid intake
R: Restricted ability to get to the bathroom—is the bathroom on a different floor, or does arthritis prevent you from reaching it on time?
S: Stool impaction, another overlooked common cause of loss of urine
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Tags: General health