Urinary incontinence – causes and treatment – Verity Roat Language Solutions

As a medical Arabic and French to English translator and English copy-writer, I’ve spent a lot of time researching various medical ailments. Thanks to working for a leading medical device manufacturer, I’ve become something of a specialist in urinary incontinence. So I thought it might help my clients if I detailed the causes and treatment of urinary incontinence in a blogpost!

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence, also known as bladder weakness,is the unintentional passing of urine.¹ This usually comes in the form of leaks of urine during the day. There are various forms:

• Stress incontinence – urine leaking when there is stress on the bladder (e.g. when you sneeze)
• Urge incontinence – a sudden need to ‘go’
• Overflow incontinence – dribbling of wee due to the bladder not emptying properly
• Functional incontinence – a physical or mental impairment that stops you from getting to the loo in time
• Mixed incontinence – a mix of the various types of incontinence²

If you suspect you have bladder weakness, you should seek help from a medical professional.

Causes of urinary incontinence

There are many reasons why you might experience bladder weakness, but these include:

• pregnancy and childbirth
• menopause
• muscles around the bladder weakening with age
• obesity
• a urinary tract infection, such as cystitis
• kidney stones
• constipation³

Urinary incontinence treatments

Depending on the cause of your incontinence, there are many things you can do to manage the condition. However, it would be best if you spoke to your doctor before you try anything new. These treatments include:

• Lifestyle changes:
  • monitoring your liquid intake. Make sure you drink enough during the day, but if you experience leaks at night, limit your intake before bed.
  • physical activity
  • eating fibre to avoid constipation
  • quitting smoking
• Exercises:
  • bladder training – led by a doctor, you can retrain your bladder to help prevent leaks
  • pelvic floor exercises – there’s even a fantastic app by the NHS called ‘Squeezy’ that reminds you to do them!
• medical interventions, such as medications and medical devices that a healthcare provider must prescribe
• continence products – there are many brands out there (for example, TENA or iD in the UK). Shop around to find something suitable for you⁴

I hope this short introduction to urinary incontinence has been of interest to you! If you would like to engage my services as a medical Arabic and French to English translator or English copy-writer, you can contact me on verity.roat@cantab.net for more information.

¹ “Urinary incontinence”, NHS, 7 November 2019, Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/

² “Urinary incontinence”, Mayo Clinic Staff, n.d., Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-incontinence/symptoms-causes/syc-20352808

³ “Urinary incontinence: What you need to know”, Tim Newman, 14 December 2017, Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165408 ⁴ “Treatments for Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence)”, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, n.d., Source: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-control-problems/treatment