Tuesday, 5 June 2012

More about incontinence and treatments


What does incontinence mean?
Incontinence means loss of control over the process of voluntary urination. It is the inability to sense the flow of urine in the bladder till the time the person is in the condition to pass urine.

What are the reasons?
There are varied reasons as to why incontinence can occur in an individual. The age of a person has no relevance with his incontinence issue. The causes that lead to incontinence could range from physiological to psychological and neurological to pathological.That is the reason why it is so important to always diagnose the correct cause. Proper diagnoses will help in proper control over urination otherwise the patients will never get satisfaction and incontinence will remain a part of their life, always creating embarrassing situations.

What treatments can be given?
After appropriate identification of the cause, the treatments will vary from medication and retraining to surgery. At times, just simple changes in one’s daily activities will help in overcoming the problem of incontinence. Changes include changes in daily routine activities, hygiene conditions, and even food habits if required. Patients in the initial stages have benefited from this treatment of incontinence.However, each time the treatment procedure is not as simple as this one. 


Going ahead, for treating Incontinence,Kegel’s exercise plays an important role. They are very simple and comfortable pelvic floor exercises. By repeated contraction and relaxation of pelvic floor muscles, the incontinence can be brought under control to a great extent. Also statistics have shown that many patients are happy with this treatment as the cost incurred is nominal and the pattern too is quite comfortable. It has helped bring about positive changes in the lives of many.

Furthermore, if incontinence reaches a stage where surgery is the only option left, then specialists have come up with simple procedures, where the surgical part promotes correction of ectopic urethra. Surgeries also include plastic surgeries. Plastic surgeries are very well performed with the help of Botox. Botox, a new form of treatment is handled only by experts. The use of Botox is through injections that need to be injected inside the urinary bladder through the urethra. This paralyzes the bladder and creates low bladder pressure.It is important to know that lesser contractions of the bladder cause incontinence. The success rate of this Botox treatment is quite high except for a few patients who have gone through infections and bleeding during treatment. However, majority of patients are happy with this treatment. The key point here is the use of local anesthesia and supervision of an experienced urologist. If these parameters are ensured, then the patient will surely end up living a normal and healthy life.

Do animals face such problems?
Yes of course, animals too are a part of the incontinence issue.Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence is the most common form of the diagnosed incontinence. However, it’s the dogs that are most commonly affected. Any defects during birth, which include abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord, lead to incontinence because the brain and spinal cord control the function of the bladder. But, thanks to advancements in medical science, even animals can easily lead a healthy life after being treated with the right tools.

Conclusion
For both animals and humans incontinence is a major and troubling issue that needs to be dealt with.  Those who have undergone surgery or special treatments under supervision have the chance to lead a healthy and respectable life.