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. Urinary incontinence happens more often in older men than in young men, but it’s not just a normal part of aging.
What causes urinary incontinence in men?
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.
- 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. 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. 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.
- Functional incontinence is a rare form of incontinence caused by physical or mental limitations that restrict a man’s ability to reach the toilet in time.
In men, incontinence is often related to prostate problems or treatments.
When To Call your doctor
Call your doctor now 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.
Call your doctor if:
- 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). 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.
Watchful waiting
If home treatment does not control your problem, or if incontinence interferes with your lifestyle, ask your doctor to recommend a treatment.