Urinary incontinence is a common medical condition that can be accompanied by certain physical and mental impacts. Read our blog to find out more.
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition, and suffers generally experience unexpected bladder leaks over which they have no control. Approximately a third of older men, and half of all women experience these accidental leaks, with women being disproportionately affected due to the physical stress of pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.
The intimate nature of UI means that people experiencing symptoms may be more likely to turn to common UI myths in place of seeking updated medical information; the majority of UI patients take an average of 6 years to seek professional medical help.
Due to treatment avoidance, many sufferers may be unprepared for some of the secondary impacts of UI. Let’s take a look at some of the physical and mental impacts that UI sufferers and their loved ones should be aware of.
Financial stress
A frequently underestimated impact of UI is the financial stress it could possibly place on those who experience symptoms. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of UI may require multiple doctors' visits, ongoing routine care, and in some cases, surgical options which may cause complications. All of these costs add up.
70% of annual direct costs for UI are related to routine care, with an additional 14% being made up of nursing home costs for those who are admitted to institutionalized care. The remaining 16% is made up of treatment, complications, and diagnosis.
The annual direct cost of incontinence is significantly higher for sufferers who live in the community, compared to those who are placed in institutionalized care. This means that remaining independent comes with additional costs for older individuals with UI, who may be living off a pension and have a limited budget.
Some UI symptoms can be effectively managed by using purpose-built pads or incontinence pants products; however, these can be expensive when you consider the annual cost.
Discrete, reusable solutions such as knix leakproof underwear can reduce the ongoing financial impacts of UI, as they require only an initial investment and may be a more suitable option for some sufferers.
Social isolation
One of the more common impacts of UI is social isolation. UI sufferers may feel as though the risk of a public accident and the associated embarrassment is too high, and choose to stay in their home instead.
Unfortunately, prolonged social isolation can lead to increased levels of depression and anxiety, with a recent study showing that individuals with UI are more likely to experience psychological stress disorders than individuals with no UI symptoms.
Social isolation can extend to close personal relationships, with 43% of woman who experience bladder leakage asserting that their intimate relations have been affected by UI. Some women with UI regularly practice intimacy avoidance, due to an overwhelming fear of experiencing a bladder leak during sex.
Intimacy avoidance can be present in women of all ages. Postpartum urinary incontinence is a common condition which can cause feelings of shame, and prevent women from feeling comfortable with intimacy after childbirth; this could potentially affect their relationships, and cause varying levels of social isolation.
Weight gain
Many individuals with UI may experience weight gain and other health issues as a result of reduced activity levels.
Particularly for those with stress incontinence (which can be triggered through high-impact exercise), sufferers may avoid physical activities that they once enjoyed for fear of experiencing a UI episode. More than 20% of women with UI symptoms report that they have quit physical activities to avoid unexpected bladder leakage.
Living a more sedentary lifestyle and the weight gain commonly associated with that can increase the risks of heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and bone fractures.
More frequent falls and fractures
Particularly in older individuals, UI can be a contributing factor to increased falls and fractures. In one study, weekly instances of urge incontinence (characterized by frequent and sudden urges to use the bathroom), were shown to increase the risk of falls in older women by 26%, and fractures by 34%.
Stress incontinence presented no significant correlation for increased risk of falls and fractures, indicating that the increased risk is related to UI sufferers rushing to the bathroom during urge incontinence episodes, which leaves them prone to tripping or losing their balance—especially for those with mobility issues.
Increased risk of falls and fractures may be mitigated through early diagnosis and appropriate symptom management.
Although information about urinary incontinence and its management is becoming more widely available, there is still work to be done in destigmatizing the condition.
The secondary mental and physical impacts of UI may be managed proactively—or even prevented—through medical diagnosis and symptom management options received in a timely manner.
Effective UI diagnosis and management can allow UI sufferers to live full and happy lives.
