Urinary incontinence is a common and distressing complaint in the elderly. Its causes include structural changes in vesical muscle as well as impaired neural function. Incontinence can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
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Age-related changes: Aging of the bladder muscle can decrease the bladders capacity to store urine. Also, involuntary bladder contractions become more frequent as you get older. The muscles that support your pelvic organs can become weaker over time, causing you to experience leakage issues.
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Prostate problems: Most incontinence in men is related to the prostate gland. Male incontinence may be caused by prostatitis, injury or damage to nerves or muscles from surgery, or an enlarged prostate gland, which can lead to benign prostate hyperplasia.
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Neurological disorders: Central nervous system disorders such as stroke, dementia, parkinsonism, and spinal cord injury can cause urge incontinence. Neurological disease or diabetes may increase your risk of incontinence.
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Medications: Certain medications can affect urine output and cause incontinence.
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Other factors: Other factors that can worsen incontinence in the elderly include limitations in mobility, cognitive impairment, diabetes, obesity, congestive heart failure, and family history.
There are different types of incontinence, including stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, and mixed incontinence. It is important to identify the underlying cause of incontinence in order to develop an appropriate treatment plan.
