urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the condition of involuntarily losing control over urine, where a person cannot hold or control urine unintentionally. Despite many women experiencing this problem today, they often feel embarrassed and choose not to discuss it. In fact, with advancing age, it is sometimes considered a normal condition.

Urinary incontinence is a common (occurring in one out of four women) and highly distressing condition that significantly affects the quality of life. Due to this condition, patients frequently and urgently need to urinate, which in turn affects their daily lives. Additionally, due to the fear of urinary incontinence, patients even avoid laughing comfortably, although urinary incontinence is a treatable condition.

Urinary incontinence, which occurs in situations such as lifting heavy objects, sneezing, or climbing stairs, negatively impacts the quality of life. While some patients do not experience urinary incontinence during their daily activities, they may face issues like frequent urination and not being able to reach the toilet in time. This problem, which causes women to urinate 10-15 times a day and, more importantly, leads to urine leakage, isolates them from social life.

Risk Factors

Difficult and traumatic childbirths increase the risk of urinary incontinence, while cesarean sections and normal deliveries do not have a significant impact on this problem. However, multiple childbirths, assisted deliveries, and prolonged labor can increase susceptibility to urinary incontinence.

Excessive weight is one of the leading factors contributing to urinary incontinence. This is because excessive weight increases the pressure in the abdominal area, posing a risk to the urinary tract. Engaging in regular pelvic floor exercises can be beneficial in strengthening these muscles. The strengthening of these muscles has positive effects on the organs responsible for urine retention.

Diagnosis of Urinary Incontinence

Patients should be evaluated by a specialized obstetrician-gynecologist (preferably a urogynecologist) regarding this issue. Patients are asked to come with a full bladder for examination if possible. The doctor tests whether the patient experiences urinary leakage with coughing and straining. Then, the remaining amount of urine is measured after emptying the bladder, and a gynecological examination is performed to check for any sagging in the bladder, vagina, and adjacent organs. During this examination, the pelvic floor muscles responsible for urinary retention are also assessed.

After the examination, patients are asked to fill out survey forms to evaluate their quality of life. This way, it can be objectively determined to what extent the patient’s quality of life is affected.

Additionally, when necessary, a 1-3 day voiding diary is kept by the patient to record urination habits. In this diary, the patient records how much fluid they consume during the day, how many times they urinate, how many times they experience urinary leakage, and what they were doing at the time (such as sneezing, coughing, washing dishes, opening a door with a key, etc.). This helps to understand the type of urinary incontinence more easily.

Urinalysis and culture are performed as urinary tract infections can also cause urinary incontinence.

Based on these findings, the type of urinary incontinence, the conditions under which it occurs, and the pressures involved are determined through the Urodynamic test. This helps in deciding the treatment approach for urinary incontinence (medication or surgery).

Please note that the content provided is for informational purposes only, and you should consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.