Do men also have incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a phenomenon in which urine leaks unknowingly regardless of one's will. In most women with fertility, urinary incontinence is mostly caused by weakened pelvic muscles or tissues that support the urethra as they age, so urinary incontinence may be unfamiliar to men.

The prevalence of male incontinence is proportional to aging. As you get older, the ability to store urine and urinate among the functions of the bladder decreases, so it is necessary to manage the bladder to solve and prevent urinary incontinence.
Why does urinary incontinence occur in men with relatively longer urethra than women?
First, weakness of the urethral sphincter, which can refrain from leaking urine, is mentioned. When bladder pressure suddenly increases and urine is about to come out, the urethral sphincter, which usually prevents leakage at a corresponding sufficient pressure, is located near the bladder. Men can also be affected by urethral sphincter even if they have undergone surgery for prostate cancer or prostatic hypertrophy. In general, it is more likely that dysfunction occurred than damage to the sphincter itself.

When the function of the bladder decreases with age, it is called an aging bladder, and the elasticity of the urinal muscles decreases and urine cannot be stored sufficiently, resulting in symptoms including frequent urination. In particular, when prostate hypertrophy, which occurs well in elderly patients, is accompanied, the incidence of bladder dysfunction, desperate urine, and urinary incontinence is further increased. It would be better to approach this change in bladder function as a concept of management that slows down the progression and improves symptoms rather than treatment for cure.

If urinary incontinence occurs after surgery, it is necessary to check whether the urethral sphincter has weakened. Exercise therapy can help restore the function of the sphincter, but if it does not recover for a long time, methods such as artificial urethral sphincter insertion, which inserts a mechanical device into the urethra, should be considered. If urinary incontinence has occurred due to prostatic hypertrophy, treatment is required by resolving hypertrophy. If the main cause is abnormal bladder function due to aging bladder, drug treatment is mainly used, and if there is no improvement in long-term treatment, procedures such as Botox intra-bladder injection may be considered.

Prior to such treatment, lifestyle habits that help prevent urinary incontinence and relieve symptoms will be paramount. In any form of incontinence, pelvic muscle exercise can help prevent incontinence, and Kegel exercise is a typical example. It is a method of tightening and loosening muscles as if you are holding your urine, and it is also good to consider the use of Kegel exercise devices to continue effective exercise.

Urinary incontinence itself reduces the quality of life and makes social life difficult, but it is a serious disease that worries about loss of self-esteem or depression caused by stress. Since various forms of incontinence appear due to various causes, there is no secret to all incontinence.