Urinary incontinence may affect your skin and kidneys, say Indian doctors

Urinary incontinence the involuntary loss of bladder control can also have a significant effect on your skin and kidneys said doctors on SundayWorld Urinary Continence Week is observed between June 1723 to raise awareness of bladder and bowel problemsUrinary incontinence causes involuntary loss of bladder control leading to the accidental leakage of urine It is a common condition that can range from occasional minor leaks to more frequent and severe issuesldquoThe combination of hormones and stretched muscles means the muscles that control your bladder are weakened This can lead to an accidental leak of urinerdquo Dr Ashwin Mallya Consultant Urologist and Robotic Uro Onco Surgeon Sir Ganga Ram Hospital saidldquoUrinary incontinence doesnt just affect the bladder but it can lead to skin issues like rashes and infections due to constant moisture Additionally it can cause urinary tract infections UTIs and in severe cases it may lead to kidney damagerdquo he addedThe doctor said that it can also lead to mental health problems like ldquoanxiety depression and social isolation Many people may start avoiding social activities or situations where they fear embarrassment which can lead to social isolation and a reduced quality of liferdquoThe condition can affect individuals of all ages but is more prevalent among older adults especially women during pregnancy and childbirthIf it continues for long in women after childbirth and without childbirth is the point of concern that needs to be treated the health expert saidDr Arif Akhtar senior consultant Urology Marengo Asia Hospital Gurugram said that bladder control declines due to agerelated changes such as weakening pelvic floor muscles and excessive or insufficient bladder muscle activity leading to the conditionldquoStress incontinence can result from pelvic muscle stretches and increased bladder pressure during pregnancy and childbirth Reduced urethral closure pressure and urogenital shrinkage are the outcomes of menopauseinduced oestrogen reduction Overflow incontinence in males is a result of both benign prostatic hyperplasia and problems following a prostatectomyrdquoStudies show that up to 45 per cent of women and 15 per cent of men in India suffer from some form of urinary incontinence This disparity is largely due to differences in anatomy pregnancy childbirth and menopause which are unique risk factors for womenldquoPelvic Floor Muscle Training PFMT with Kegel exercises and therapies to strengthen pelvic muscles are just a few of the many strategies used to prevent urinary incontinencerdquo Dr Arif saidOther approaches involve adopting a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a healthy weight as it reduces pressure on the bladder staying active by doing regular exercise to strengthen pelvic floor muscles limiting caffeine and alcohol as these can irritate the bladder quitting smoking because smoking can lead to coughing which exacerbates stress incontinence the doctors saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever