Take the Urinary Incontinence Quiz
Incontinence means that you release urine when you don’t mean to. Incontinence is
a common problem. Learn about the condition by taking this quiz. It can give you the
courage and understanding you need to discuss it with your healthcare provider.
1. One type of incontinence is stress incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence means
you release urine when you cough, sneeze, or do things like bend down, lift, or walk.
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Stress incontinence happens when the muscle around your urethra gets weak and doesn’t
close all the way. Your urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder when
you urinate. Anything you do that puts pressure on the bladder can cause urine to
leak. The leaking stops when you stop the activity.
2. Stress urinary incontinence is most often caused when the pelvic muscles, nerves,
and ligaments around the bladder and urethra get weak.
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In women, pregnancy and childbirth, a hysterectomy, and a lack of estrogen after menopause
can add to the problem. In men, stress urinary incontinence can be caused by prostate
surgery or radiation treatment for prostate cancer. These treatments can damage the
bladder muscle (sphincter).
3. About 25 million Americans have some form of urinary incontinence.
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This number includes men and women of all ages. But most people with urinary incontinence
are older than 60.
4. Urinary incontinence won't go away on its own.
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Sometimes stress urinary incontinence lasts only a short time.
5. People with urinary incontinence often make big changes to their lifestyle.
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Many women wear sanitary pads or adult diapers. They carry a change of clothing at
all times. Millions of women stop doing things they enjoy because they are embarrassed
by the odor. And they worry about possible accidents. This makes their sense of shame
and loss of dignity worse.
6. Urge urinary incontinence is also called a hyperactive bladder.
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Urge incontinence is also called hyperactive bladder or irritable bladder. It means
that you can’t get to a toilet in time once you feel the urge to go. It happens when
nerves from the bladder to the brain give the wrong signal. Or the brain can’t stop
the bladder muscle from contracting. This causes the bladder muscle to be unstable.
Urge incontinence in women can be caused by complications from a hysterectomy. In
men, the bladder muscle can become unstable by an enlarged prostate or by prostate
surgery. In both men and women, it can be caused by aging, urinary infections, anxiety,
or depression.
7. Overflow urinary incontinence occurs when the bladder isn't able to empty completely.
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Overflow incontinence means that leakage occurs when the bladder has too much urine
in it. This happens when the bladder isn’t able to empty all the way. This can be
caused by a blockage that keeps the bladder from emptying completely. It can be caused
by a weak bladder muscle that can’t contract enough to empty the bladder. Tumors in
men or women or enlarged prostates in men can block the flow of urine out of the bladder.
Some blood pressure medicines can weaken the bladder muscle. Nerve damage to the spinal
cord or pelvic nerves can also cause the bladder muscle to weaken.
8. Parkinson disease can be a cause of reflex urinary incontinence.
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Reflex incontinence is the loss of urine when you don’t know that you need to urinate.
It may happen because of a problem with the opening between the bladder and another
body structure. It can also happen because of a leak in the bladder, urethra, or ureter.
It can also be caused by mental or physical problems that get in the way of normal
signals from the nervous system to the bladder. These problems include Parkinson disease,
Alzheimer disease, and depression.
9. About half of people with urinary incontinence can be cured or get relief from
symptoms.
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The good news is that the number is 80%. Many conditions can cause temporary urinary
incontinence. These include a urinary infection, drinking too many fluids such as
caffeine, constipation, severe depression, and getting too little exercise. The most
common cause is a side effect of medicine. Medicines that can cause temporary incontinence
include terazosin. This medicine is used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy in
men. Other medicines that can cause it include oral decongestants with pseudoephedrine,
beta-adrenergic blockers given for high blood pressure or angina, diuretics, antidepressants,
and antihistamines.
10. Incontinence can be treated with behavioral therapy, urethral inserts, medicines,
collagen implants, and other surgery.
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The treatment for urinary incontinence depends on what type it is and what’s causing
it. Your healthcare provider can diagnose the type by using a variety of tests. These
include X-rays, blood tests, urine analysis, and a check of how much urine your bladder
can hold. He or she may also look at the condition of your sphincter, the pressure
in your urethra, and the amount of urine left in the bladder after you urinate. If
you have stress incontinence and are a woman, you can help control your condition
by doing Kegel exercises. These exercises make the muscles around the neck of the
bladder stronger. Tighten the muscles for 4 counts, then relax. Repeat this 10 to
20 times. The best way to handle urge incontinence is to set a timer and use the bathroom
on a regular schedule. This might be a half-hour after a meal, 2 to 3 times between
meals, and before going to bed. Overflow incontinence is common in older men. It can
be prevented by getting treatment for an enlarged prostate when symptoms first show
up. A urologist or therapist can help with this type of incontinence.
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