Health Care

By Sandra Kim Leong

You may find that you often experience sudden urges to use the bathroom and yet fail to reach the toilet in time. If you find that your bowel or bladder has leaked a bit and you have problems controlling your urinary and/or bowel movements, then you may be have urinary and/or fecal incontinence. It is a problem that you may feel utterly embarrassed over. However, you are hardly alone. Over 5 million Americans have some form of incontinence. Incontinence can affect people of all ages, both young and old and there are several causes of incontinence.

An impacted bowel is one of the possible causes of incontinence. If your bowel is impacted (blocked), you will become constipated, but liquids can still leak around the blockage. An impacted bowel can also cause you to have a bladder control problem, because the blockage can put pressure put your urethra.

A bladder infection can also cause you incontinence. If your bladder is infected it can cause you to have frequent, sudden urges to use the bathroom. Also, if you already have a incontinence problem and then you also get a bladder infection, it can make the incontinence worse.

Being a diabetic puts you at higher risk. Higher sugar levels in your bladder can create incontinence issues. Diabetics often have fluctuating sugar levels. Also, swollen legs can cause incontinence problems and you may swell if you are diabetic, although swollen legs can happen for a number of other reasons as well.

It is possible to develop incontinence when you hit menopause. A drop in estrogen levels is one of the causes of incontinence. As you lose estrogen, the tissue around your vagina and urethra can weaken considerably. This can cause irritation and inflammation around the affected areas.

There are many other causes of incontinence. These include arthritis, rapid filling of your bladder or the inability to empty your bladder completely every time you go to the toilet.

Regardless of the various causes, it is important to know that there is little that you need to feel embarrassed over. Being open about what you are facing can help you find the support that you need. You may not even realise that one of your family members or a close friend may have the same problem. It is possible to treat an incontinence problem. It is best to consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis and an appropriate treatment.