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Male Incontinence Male Incontinence

Male Incontinence

Do you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable by having accidental urinary leaking? Do these accidents affect your quality of life?

Visit Steinberg Urology for a consultation with our urologists to address your concerns, perform diagnosis and provide you on advice as to what treatments are likely to fit your individual circumstances.
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MALE INCONTINENCE

Urinary incontinence is the accidental release of urine. It’s not a disease. It’s a symptom of a problem with a man’s urinary tract.

Urine is made by the kidneys and stored in a sac made of muscle, called the urinary bladder. A tube called the urethra leads from the bladder through the prostate and penis to the outside of the body. Around this tube is a ring of muscles called the urinary sphincter. As the bladder fills with urine, nerve signals tell the sphincter to stay squeezed shut while the bladder stays relaxed. The nerves and muscles work together to prevent urine from leaking out of the body.

When you have to urinate, the nerve signals tell the muscles in the walls of the bladder to squeeze. This forces urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same time the bladder squeezes, the urethra relaxes. This allows urine to pass through the urethra and out of the body.

Incontinence can happen for many reasons:

  • If your bladder squeezes at the wrong time, or if it squeezes too hard, urine may leak out.
  • If the muscles around the urethra are damaged or weak, urine can leak out even if you don’t have a problem with your bladder squeezing at the wrong time.
  • You can also have incontinence if your bladder doesn’t empty when it should. This leaves too much urine in the bladder. If the bladder gets too full, urine will leak out when you don’t want it to.
  • If something is blocking your urethra, urine can build up in the bladder and cause leaking.

Urinary incontinence happens more often in older men than in young men, but it’s not just a normal part of aging.

SYMPTOMS

The most common sign of urinary incontinence is leaking urine from the bladder. Other signs will depend on the type of urinary incontinence you have.

Stress incontinence: You release a small amount of urine when you cough, strain, lift something, or change position.

Urge incontinence: The need to urinate is so strong that you can’t reach the toilet in time.

Overflow incontinence: You have the urge to urinate, but you can only release a small amount. And you can’t control the constant dribbling of urine.

CAUSES OF MALE INCONTINENCE

In men, incontinence is often related to prostate problems or treatments.

Drinking alcohol can make urinary incontinence worse. Taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs such as diuretics, antidepressants, sedatives, opioids, or non-prescription cold and diet medicines can also affect your symptoms.

Different types of incontinence have different causes:

Stress incontinence

Can happen when the prostate gland is removed. If there has been damage to the nerves or to the sphincter, the lower part of the bladder may not have enough support. Keeping urine in the bladder is then up to the sphincter alone. The sphincter may be too weak to hold back the urine. And any extra pressure from sneezing, coughing, or straining can cause urine to leak.

Urge incontinence

Is caused by bladder muscles that squeeze so hard that the sphincter can’t hold back the urine. This causes a very strong urge to urinate. Doctors don’t know why this happens. But sometimes it can be caused by other urinary problems.

Overflow incontinence

Can be caused by something blocking the urethra, which leads to urine building up in the bladder. This is often caused by an enlarged prostate gland or a narrow urethra. Over time, the bladder gets so full that pressure builds up and forces the extra urine to move past the blockage and out of the bladder. Overflow incontinence may also happen because of weak bladder muscles.

RISK FACTORS

Factors that increase your risk of developing urinary incontinence include:

  • Age. As you get older, the muscles in your bladder and urethra lose some of their strength. Changes with age reduce how much your bladder can hold and increase the chances of involuntary urine release.
  • Being overweight. Extra weight increases pressure on your bladder and surrounding muscles, which weakens them and allows urine to leak out when you cough or sneeze.
  • Smoking. Tobacco use may increase your risk of urinary incontinence.
  • Family history. If a close family member has urinary incontinence, especially urge incontinence, your risk of developing the condition is higher.
  • Other diseases. Neurological disease or diabetes may increase your risk of incontinence.

DIAGNOSIS

The doctor will take a urine sample to check for infection. A discussion of symptoms, urges, frequency and fluid intake are typical for the first visit.

  • A pelvic exam (including a Kegel exercise to test the strength of the muscles)
  • A cough test (to assess the amount of urine leakage)
  • Urinalysis and urine culture – laboratory technicians test your urine for evidence of infection, urinary stones, or other contributing causes.
  • Ultrasound – This test uses sound waves to create an image of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
  • Cystoscopy – The doctor inserts a thin tube with a tiny camera in the urethra to see inside the urethra and bladder.
  • Urodynamics – Various techniques measure pressure in the bladder and the flow of urine.
  • Bladder scan – The doctor may also take measurements of the bladder to see how much urine is retained
diagnostics

Cystoscopy

diagnostics

Urodynamic Testing

diagnostics

Urinary Flow Test

diagnostics

Bladder Ultrasound

diagnostics

Lab Test

diagnostics

UroCuff

TREATMENT

There are many potential responses to male incontinence. The doctor will evaluate your situation and determine the best course of action. The list below shows some non-surgical therapies.

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

  • Bladder training
  • Kegel exercises to strengthen bladder muscles
  • Smoking cessation
  • Weight loss
  • Biofeedback

LEARN MORE

EMSELLA

a breakthrough treatment solution that can optimize pelvic floor muscle resilience. BTL EMSELLA™ is a great option for men & women of any age who desire solution for urinary incontinence and improvement in their quality of life.
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MEDICATION

Alpha blockers reduce symptoms by relaxing the muscles in the bladder or prostate
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SURGERY

An artificial sphincter is a device made of silicone rubber that is used to treat urinary incontinence. It has an inflatable cuff that fits around the urethra close to the point where it joins the bladder. A balloon regulates the pressure of the cuff, and a bulb controls inflation and deflation of the cuff. The balloon is surgically placed within the pelvic area, and the control pump is placed in the scrotum. The cuff is inflated to keep urine from leaking. When urination is desired, the cuff is deflated, allowing urine to drain out.
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The images and/or videos are not presented as a guarantee of result. The results may vary. Patients gave their consent for the publication of images and/or videos.

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At Steinberg Urology we pride ourselves on our compassionate care we offer to those facing challenges that affect their quality of life. Our urologists have years of experience and a commitment to excellence.

If you need to discuss this sensitive medical concern, schedule a consultation at our clinic in a safe confidential environment. Let us help you achieve optimal health and wellness in a professional setting.

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