Male Incontinence

Incontinence is a condition that men don’t like to talk about but it is a condition that can cause serious disruption to your quality of life. Often men will avoid going out and doing activities that could result in an embarrassing urine accident. If you are suffering from urine leakage, you are not alone. In fact, almost two million men in the United State suffer from incontinence and learning the truth about it can relieve that embarrassment.

Bladder or urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary and unintentional loss of urine.

Incontinence is usually characterized by one or more of four primary forms:

• Stress incontinence: The involuntary release of urine when pressure is applied to the bladder which may occur from lifting something heavy, sneezing, coughing or even laughing.
• Urge incontinence: This occurs when the bladder contracts resulting in the feeling that you need to urinate even if you just emptied your bladder recently. It can also cause leakage of urine without control.
• Overflow incontinence: This is when the bladder leaks because it doesn’t empty properly. This can be due to several factors including, but not limited to, a narrowing of the urethra or an enlarged prostate.
• Total incontinence: This is characterized by continual leakage of urine.

Why does urinary leakage develop?

• A muscle (sphincter) that is too weak or is impacted by removal of the prostate for prostate cancer
• A bladder that is not emptied regularly, sometimes due to untreated enlargement of the prostate (BPH)
• A bladder whose muscles contract very strongly which is often called overactive bladder (OAB)

What are the treatment options for urinary incontinence?

Depending on the type of incontinence you have, Dr. Hodgins may recommend the following treatment options:

• AMS 800 urinary control system (artificial urinary sphincter)
• Advance XP male sling
• Oral medications to treat overactive bladder such as Myrbetriq or Vesicare
• Bladder botox injections
• Treatment for BPH

If you suffer from any of these symptoms and they are preventing you from enjoying life, Dr. Hodgins will diagnose the type of incontinence you suffer from and provide you with a number of effective treatment options.