Many men who experience incontinence are often reluctant to seek help about their bladder problems. They feel embarrassed, yet would suffer in silence than go to the doctor’s. Oftentimes, they’ll scour the Internet to figure out what’s going on with their body and what they can do to stop the leakage.
Now, these men can find an abundance of information at the National Association for Continence (NAFC) website (www.nafc.org/malesui), which has recently been updated with more information about male stress urinary incontinence. Visitors will also find an educational video and a pamphlet on understanding and treating stress incontinence in men.
Male stress incontinence can be caused by a variety of factors, but most commonly occurs after prostate cancer surgery. Studies have shown that as many as 90% of men report leakage in the first few weeks following a prostatectomy.
“Men often say the leakage from post-prostatectomy incontinence is worse than the actual cancer. There is an unfortunate lack of information for men with stress urinary incontinence. This new content will hopefully get men talking to their healthcare providers about possible treatment options,” Dr. Donna Deng, Chairman of the NAFC Board and Associate Professor of Urology at University of California, San Francisco, said in a statement.
Behavioral modifications, such as pelvic muscle exercises and bladder retraining, are two common treatments for stress urinary incontinence. Men with bladder leakage can also try external catheters or electric stimulation.
Stress urinary incontinence can affect a man’s work, social and family life. Fortunately, with the right resources, incontinence is treatable and manageable. If you or your loved one suffers from incontinence, be sure to visit a doctor to get help.