Can Prostate Problems Cause Incontinence

Hormone Therapy Can Affect Desire

Changing hormone balance can affect desire. For example, treatment for prostate cancer that has spread beyond the gland often includes hormone therapy to lower testosterone levels. The main ways to do this are:

• Using drugs to keep testosterone from being made
• Removing the testicles

The goal of hormone therapy is to starve the prostate cancer cells of testosterone. This slows the growth of the cancer. These treatments have many of the same kinds of sexual side effects, because they affect testosterone levels.

The most common sexual problem with hormone treatment is a decrease in desire for sex . Hormone therapy may also cause other changes, such as loss of muscle mass, weight gain, or some growth in breast tissue. Be sure you understand the possible side effects and what you can do to help manage them. For instance, an exercise program may help you limit muscle loss, weight gain, and tiredness. Talk with your doctor about any exercise program you may have in mind, or ask to be referred to a physical therapist, who can help you decide where to start and what to do.

When Should You Call Your Doctor

if your urinary incontinence does not go away or you also have:

• Weakness or numbness in your buttocks, legs, and feet.
• Fever, chills, and belly or flank pain.
• Blood in your urine or burning with urination.
• A change in your bowel habits.

• Your incontinence gets worse.
• Leaking urine is enough of a problem that you need to wear a pad to absorb it.
• Incontinence interferes with your life in any way.
• You have incontinence that begins suddenly . Acute incontinence is often caused by urinary tract problems or medicines. It can be easily corrected.
• You have a sudden change in your ability to urinate and you aren’t sure if it’s related to your urinary incontinence.

Risk Factors For Bowel Incontinence

Muscles and nerves of the rectum and anus must work together to hold stool, signal when its full, and release the stool. There are many reasons why this may not happen. Some of the most common reasons include:

• Chronic constipation
• Constipation due to overflow that can occur when stool becomes backed up and unformed stool leaks around the blockage
• Diarrhea as a result of Irritable Bowel Syndrome , Irritable Bowel Disease , diet, drugs, etc.
• Neurological disability or nerve disorders
• Cognitive impairment
• Colo-rectal injury and surgery

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What Is The General Overall Outcome

In any case, Urinary Incontinence due to prostate issues is not always permanent. Many men find their bladder leakage dissipates after treatment. Even if the treatments cause bladder problems or they continue, its common for symptoms to reduce and disappear over time. The amount of time it takes to recover from the symptoms can range from a couple months to a couple years. Those who experience Urinary Incontinence after treatment do several things to regain control of their bladder in that time.

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• Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure on the bladder, and boost metabolic health to strengthen the body. Specific forms of exercise like Yoga , are especially effective.

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• Kegels and other pelvic floor exercises improve symptoms significantly.

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• Changes in diet like avoiding certain trigger foods, or eating foods that battle incontinence, reduce urine leakage.

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• Wearing incontinence supplies maintain a healthy body, by absorbing any bacteria, and toxins in bacteria. The consistent exposure to moisture can also cause infection and rash. Men then wear incontinence supplies or place absorbent materials on beds, and chairs to prevent complications. Many men with urinary incontinence prefer absorbent boxers, liner guards, and adult briefs because they are discreet and fit the male form. While you are treating your urinary incontinence with the methods mentioned above, wearing incontinence supplies will enable you to be active without worry of leakage.

What Treatments Are Available To Me If My Incontinence Doesnt Go Away After A Year

While kegels and behavioral therapy work well for most men with mild to moderate leaking, they may not be completely effective for some. Luckily, there are still some options for treating bladder leakage after prostate surgery.

Another surgery is sometimes needed when bladder leaks persist for more than a year after surgery. This may consist of having a urethral sling procedure, or an artificial urinary sphincter.

With a urethral sling procedure, a synthetic mesh tape is implanted to support the urethra. Up to an 80% improvement has been seen with this procedure and some men stop leaking completely.

An artificial urinary sphincter is used in patients who have more severe urinary incontinence that is not improving, or for those patients who may have had a lot of damage to the sphincter muscle after prostate surgery. An artificial urinary sphincter is a mechanical ring that helps close the exit from the bladder.

As will all surgeries, these come with pros and cons and potential complications. Be sure to discuss these options with your doctor.

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Practice Good Toilet Habits

Go to the toilet when your bladder feels full dont get into the habit of going just in case. After prostate surgery you may find that you do not experience the sensation of a full bladder. The sensation of a full bladder will gradually return as you are able to hold on longer. It is important to practice holding on to increase the amount of urine your bladder can hold.

Risk Of Other Health Problems

Evidence suggests that having hormone therapy might increase the chance of developing heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes. There is also some research that suggests having hormone therapy can increase your risk of getting blood clots and anaemia. But more research is needed to help us understand the links between these conditions.

Research shows that hormone therapy can cause:

• an increase in weight, particularly around the waist
• an increase in cholesterol levels
• changes in insulin.

Talk to your hospital doctor and GP about how often you should have general health checks. You may be weighed and have your blood pressure checked regularly. You may also have blood tests to check for diabetes and to measure your cholesterol levels. Your GP may suggest you have these checks about every six months. Or you can ask for them yourself at your GP surgery.

If you already have heart problems or diabetes, talk to your doctor before you start hormone therapy. They will work with you to manage these conditions.

While the risk of getting these conditions may be worrying, its important to remember that hormone therapy helps men to live longer by controlling the cancer.

What can help?

A healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes. This includes:

• eating a healthy diet

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What Causes Bladder Control Problems In Women

Certain life events and health problems can lead to stress incontinence in women by weakening the pelvic floor muscles

• pregnancy and childbirth
• menopause

Weak pelvic floor muscles can make it hard for your bladder to keep urine in during stress incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when some of your movementscoughing, sneezing, laughing, or physical activityput pressure on your bladder and cause urine to leak. A weak pelvic floor can also cause fecal incontinence, or bowel control problems.

The Causes Of Urinary Incontinence

Shayna, Facty Staff

Urinary incontinence happens for a wide variety of reasons and whether you develop these issues depends on your current health, medical history, and genetic factors. Part of the aging process includes incontinence. Many middle-aged people experience it, and the majority of people over 80 are incontinent. Lifestyle changes and exercises can help decrease episodes of urinary incontinence, while certain risk factors increase the likelihood. There are many causes of urinary incontinence.

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Prostate Cancer And Impotence

Impotence the inability to achieve or maintain an erection is a major side effect of most treatments for advanced prostate cancer. Among men who have both their testicles removed by a surgery known as orchiectomy, about 90% will experience impotence. Drugs to reduce testosterone levels, called androgen deprivation therapy or ADT, also causes impotence in most men. If this therapy is discontinued, many but not all men can regain erections over time, with no assistance. Treatments to improve erections include medicines taken orally or injected into the penis, vacuum erection devices,and penile implants. Discuss these options with your doctor including their likelihood of success and patient satisfaction before you have treatment that may result in impotence.

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What Are The Different Types Of Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence can be short-term or long-lasting . Short-term incontinence is often caused by other health problems or treatments. This topic is about the different types of chronic urinary incontinence:

• Stress incontinence happens when you sneeze, cough, laugh, lift objects, or do something that puts stress or strain on your bladder and you leak urine.
• Urge incontinence is an urge to urinate that’s so strong that you can’t make it to the toilet in time. It also happens when your bladder squeezes when it shouldn’t. This can happen even when you have only a small amount of urine in your bladder. Overactive bladder is a kind of urge incontinence. But not everyone with an overactive bladder leaks urine.
• Overflow incontinence happens when your bladder doesn’t empty as it should and then leaks urine later. This happens when bladder muscles are weak or the urethra gets blocked. These blockages can be related to an enlarged prostate or a narrow urethra.
• Total incontinence happens when you are always leaking urine. It happens when the sphincter muscle no longer works.
• Functional incontinence is rare. It happens when you can’t make it to the bathroom in time to urinate. This is usually because something got in your way or you were not able to walk there on your own.

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What Happens After Urethral Sling Surgery

Patients usually recover from this surgery quickly. It’s best to limit demanding activities for approximately six weeks after surgery to avoid having the sling loosen before healing is complete.

After surgery, there may be swelling that makes it difficult to urinate. You’ll have a catheter coming out of the urethra for two to three days. After this, the catheter is removed and just about everyone is able to void on their own. In rare cases, the catheter may have to be reinserted for a few days or up to a week if you cannot urinate.

After the swelling goes down, youll gradually be able to urinate on your own and empty your bladder. However, your normal urination pattern may not return for a few weeks.

The majority of men who’ve had this procedure have been cured of their urinary incontinence and no longer use pads. The others usually improve to the point where they don’t use as many pads as they were before.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/31/2020.

References

What To Think About

Exercise is important for your physical and emotional health. Even if being active causes some leakage, get regular exercise. It can help you manage stress and keep your muscles in tone.

Continence products absorb urine or apply pressure to keep urine from leaking. To learn more, see Other Treatment.

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Medication For Urinary Problems

Your doctor may suggest various medications to help ease your urinary problems, including:

• medications to reduce the tone of the muscles of the urethra and prostate to minimise any constriction to urine flow caused when these muscles contract
• medication to reduce the size of the prostate gland. These medications work by blocking the action of male hormones produced by the prostate gland
• medications to relax the bladder, making unwanted contractions less likely and reducing the symptoms of urgency and frequency of urination
• the over-the-counter preparation ‘saw palmetto’ is sometimes used. This may help some men, especially if frequent urination at night is a problem.

However, recent reviews of the evidence for using saw palmetto as a treatment for mild or moderate urinary symptoms did not show any improvement, compared to no treatment, in men with BPH.

Inflammation Of The Prostate Gland

Bacteria sometimes cause prostatitis . More commonly, the underlying cause is uncertain. Consult your doctor promptly if you experience:

• fever
• pain in the groin
• urgent and frequent urination.

Treatment with antibiotics is essential for acute bacterial prostatitis. Admission to hospital is often necessary and, as with chronic bacterial prostatitis, specific antibacterial drugs are required for a long time.

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Medications For Enlarged Prostate

There are two main classes of pharmaceuticals that work to alleviate enlarged prostate symptoms: alpha blockers and alpha reductase inhibitors

• Alpha Blockers. Alpha blockers relax the smooth muscle around the bladder neck and within the urethra.

• Inhibitors. Inhibitors stop the conversion of the male hormone testosterone to DHT to reduce the prostate’s size, eliminating blockage.

Dont be surprised if your physician prescribes a combination of the two medications, as they have been shown to work more effectively together than alone. The downside is that combination therapy may increase the likelihood of experiencing side effects from the medications. Be sure to work with your doctor to assess the benefits and costs before starting on combination therapy.

What Is The Prostate What Does It Do

The prostate is a walnut sized gland, that is beneath the bladder and directly in front of the rectum. It is one of the most important parts of the male reproductive system. The prostate gland produces many of the necessary fluids that create sperm, and is secreted at at the time of ejaculation. The urethra, the thin tube that runs from the bladder through the penis to carry urine and sperm, also runs through the prostate. So because the prostate surrounds the urethra , any direct issues with the prostate can affect urine flow.

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How To Improve Your Prostate Health

Follow these three easy steps to help improve the health of your prostate:

• Eat Right If you eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, youre at a lower risk of developing cancer of any kind, including prostate cancer.
• Get Active It’s recommended you exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Get Physical Make it a practice to have a physical every year so you can detect prostate cancer and other health issues before they get out of hand.

Male Incontinence: A Full Guide To Wearable Solutions

Incontinence in males is quite prevalent but not discussed nearly enough. Male urinary incontinence causes accidental leakage of urine and indicates a loss of bladder control. According to studies, it can reduce the quality of life in men significantly1].

Urinary incontinence can be a result of underlying issues, such as being overweight or having prostate problems. An enlarged prostate can affect urine flow, causing frequent urination, leaking, and a weak stream.

The prostate may also be removed due to cancer, causing stress incontinence2], which triggers urine leakage with actions such as sneezing or laughing. Men may also experience incontinence if they suffer from medical conditions that cause nerve damage like stroke, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, herniated discs, dementia, and spinal cord injury.

Incontinence in men is not as prevalent as it is in women, which makes the conversation about possible solutions much harder to have. Furthermore, with the majority of incontinence products being marketed to women, men are often left with little to no awareness of the solutions they have available to them to manage it.

In this article, we will look at some of the most common wearable solutions for managing incontinence in men.

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Why Do Prostate Issues Cause Urinary Incontinence

Because the prostate surrounds the urethra, nears the bladder, and produces fluids, an enlarged prostate can significantly affect the flow of the urinary stream. When the prostate enlarges, it puts pressure on the bladder and squeezes the urethra. This squeezing pressure can cause a variety of different symptoms.

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Symptoms

Bladder issues differ, depending on each individual case. Though the symptoms vary, the most common issues experienced while urinating include:

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Although it is not always a side affect.

Prostate surgery, prostatectomy, is generally used to treat prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate . Sometimes prostate surgery is used to treat recurring prostate bleeding and urinary problems, but its less typical.

The process of a prostatectomy consists of the surgeon making an incision in the abdomen, from the length of the belly button to the pubic bone. From there, the prostate, or parts of the prostate, are then removed. If you have cancer in your prostate, the lymph nodes surrounding the prostate gland may also have to be removed. If surrounding nerves are also affected, they too may need to be removed. Depending on how much of the prostate area is removed, you may develop Erectile Dysfunction and Urinary Incontinence.

A radical prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the entire prostate gland . This removal of the entire prostate makes you at higher risk of acquiring Urinary Incontinence and erectile issues.

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Living With Bowel Or Bladder Incontinence

There is no single, right way to cope with bladder or bowel incontinence. The challenge is to find what is best for your situation, so you can get the help you need and return to a normal daily life. Talk with your health care team if you notice a change in bowel or bladder habits, and about the best ways to manage incontinence, if it is a problem. You might find it helpful to talk with other people who are dealing with incontinence, too. Ask a member of your cancer care team about support groups in your area.

Here are some things you can do that may help make incontinence less of a problem:

• Empty your bladder every 3 to 4 hours while awake, to avoid accidents.
• Empty your bladder before bedtime or before strenuous activity.
• Limit drinks with caffeine, or and avoid alcohol and citrus juices, which can irritate the bladder and make you have to go more often.
• Avoid hygiene products that may irritate you Women should avoid feminine spray or over-the-counter vaginal suppositories.
• Because belly fat can push on the bladder, avoiding weight gain or losing needed weight sometimes helps improve bladder control.
• Avoid tobacco use which can cause coughing and bladder irritation due to harmful substances in tobacco products.
• Talk to your doctor about all medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements youre taking. Some may affect urine control.

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