Incontinence Health Article

Treatments and complementary therapies

The method of treatment depends on the cause and type of incontinence. Surgical treatment is usually reserved for severe or long-lasting incontinence. An artificial pouch for storing urine or stool can be placed inside the body as a substitute for a removed bladder, colon, or rectum. Placement of an artificial sphincter successfully treats other cases. For mild or temporary incontinence, treatment may include medications, dietary changes, muscle-strengthening exercises, or behavioral training, such as establishing a time pattern for voiding. A small group of patients, however, requires a permanent colostomy or urostomy.

Electrical stimulation therapy, which targets involved muscles with low-current electricity, can be used to treat either urinary or fecal incontinence. Biofeedback uses electronic or mechanical devices to improve bladder or bowel control by teaching an individual how to recognize and respond to certain body signals.

Embarrassment may lead some people to manage the symptoms of incontinence themselves by wearing absorbent pads to prevent the soiling of their clothes. However, many treatments exist to successfully restore or improve control of bowel and bladder function, so individuals experiencing incontinence should speak to a doctor or nurse.

Resources

BOOKS

Walsh, Patrick C., and Alan B. Retik. Campbell's Urology Seventh edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1998.

PERIODICALS

Jackson, Susan L., Tracy L. Hull. "Fecal Incontinence in Women." Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey Vol. 53, no. 12 (December, 1998): pp. 741-747.

Kamm, Michael. "Fortnightly Review:Faecal Incontinence."British Medical Journal Vol. 316, no. 7130: pp. 528-532.

Kunkel, Elisabeth J. S., M.D., Jennifer R. Bakker, Ronald E. Meyers, Ph.D., Olo Oyesanmi, M.D., and Leonard Gomella, M.D. "Biopsychosocial Aspects of Prostate Cancer." Psychosomatics Vol. 42, no. 2 (March/April 2000): pp.85-94.

Scientific Committee of the First International Consultation on Incontinence. "Assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence." The Lancet Vol. 355, no. 9221 (June 17, 2000): pp. 2153-2158.

Smith, Dorothy B., RN, MS, CETN, FAAN. "Urinary Continence Issues in Oncology." Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing Vol. 3, No. 4: 161-167.

Stefanie B. N. Dugan, M.S.

Evacuation

—Release of stool or gas from the bowel system.

Overflow incontinence

—Slow leaking or dripping of urine from an overfilled bladder that may be unable to empty completely.

Sphincter

—A circular muscle that relaxes and tightens to control the storage and release of bodily waste.

Stress incontinence

—Involuntary loss of waste resulting from sudden pressure or force, such as by coughing, sneezing, laughing, or lifting an object.

Urethra

—A tube-like structure allowing the passage of urine between the bladder and the outside of the body.

Urge incontinence

—Involuntary loss of waste after feeling a strong, sudden need to void, without enough time to get to a toilet.

Voiding

—Release of urine from the bladder system.