Urinary Incontinence Flashcards
What are the 4 types of urinary incontinence?
1) stress incontinence
2) urge incontinence
3) overflow incontinence
4) functional incontinence
What is stress incontinence?
where urine leaks from the bladder due to higher pressures than the pelvic muscles are NOT able to contain
What is the main cause of stress incontinence?
weakness or damage to the pelvic floor muscles (e.g. multiple pregnancies)
Give 3 instances where stress incontinence is more likely to occur:
1) coughing
2) laughing
3) straining
Give 3 conservative measures used to manage stress incontinence:
1) pelvic floor strengthening exercises
2) review of fluid intake
3) weight loss (puts less stress on the pelvic floor)
If conservative measures are unsuccessful in treating stress incontinence, what should be considered?
Surgery
What is urge incontinence?
overactive bladder - the bladder comes irritable causing the patient feel that they urgently need to empty it when it is not actually full
Give 3 symptoms of urge incontinence:
1) frequency
2) urgency
3) nocturia
Along with the conservative measures used to treat stress incontinence, name 2 other methods used to treat urge incontinence:
1) avoiding bladder irritants such as dehydration and caffeine
2) bladder training - increasing the time from feeling the urge to pass urine to actual micturation
Name two anti-micturinic drugs used to treat urge incontinence:
1) oxybutynin
2) tolterodine
Give 4 side effects of anti-micturinic drugs:
1) dry mouth
2) dry eyes
3) constipation
4) confusion
(most patients stop taking them after three months due to the side effects)
What is overflow incontinence?
incontinence due an obstruction causing an overfilled bladder e.g. prostate enlargement or constipation
What is a common treatment for overflow incontinence?
catherisation
What is functional incontinence?
Caused by problems that prevent you from getting to the bathroom in time to avoid an accident
what is the epidemiology of urinary incontinence?
most common in elderly females
