Urinary incontinence is the failure to control the urinary bladder which occasions the involuntary loss of urine, and affects all types of people socially, medically and/or hygienically.  In the great majority of cases it is a symptom which affects the Quality of Life of the patient without any other medical problem or life expectancy issue involved: however, in some cases it is a symptom of a serious disease such as a chronic infection or neurological disorder such as Multiple Sclerosis.

Although it is much more common in women, it also affects men and children.  It is estimated that more than 2 million people in Spain suffer from urine leaks.  The incontinence will always occur for a reason: it may be due to neurological illnesses, or congenital defects, infections, surgery or problems relating to age.  And if it does happen as a result of a recognised cause, it can always be treated and cured regardless of the age of the patient.

Urine may leak continuously, such as for example in a child with a malformation of the urinary apparatus, or a male operated for prostate cancer in the first few weeks after the operation.  It may also leak when coughing, laughing or lifting weights, typical of women shortly after childbirth and after the menopause.  Urine can even leak due to the sensation of needing to go to the toilet and not getting there in time; very typical in post-menopausal women but also seen in men with prostate problems.  It is not unusual for urine to leak due to an overflow in those patients who chronically retain urine (always have a full bladder); or for a leak to occur when any effort is made or sometimes at night an involuntary leak may take place.

For all the urinary leaks described: from exerting efforts, due to urgent need or overflowing we currently have an effective treatment.

On many occasions there is a defect in the contraction capacity of the muscles of the pelvis, either through a birth defect, or trauma to the parts affected or through age, all implied in the origin of the incontinence, but also in pathologies frequently associated with pelvic prolapse, which is the lowering  via the vagina of organs such as the bladder, uterus or intestine, with the accompany discomfort and dysfunction that this may cause with regard to difficulties in emptying the bladder  or the intestinal contents.

In this way, the pelvic organs and pelvic floor which supports them form an indivisible structure as much for the correct evaluation of the discomfort that the patient describes as for its correct treatment.  For this, the collaboration of Gynaecologists and Coloproctologists from our hospital is indispensable in the care and treatment of our patients.

We have all types of effective treatments available for urinary incontinence and pelvic floor problems.  But the patient must be aware that there is no sole treatment for a specific incontinence, as treatment must be personalised and individual to the patient depending on the exact diagnosis, but also adapted to the medical condition of the patient, his or her social situation and of course personal preferences.

Treatment ranges from dietary advice, lifestyle habits, muscular exercises of the pelvic floor, medication, provisional or implantable electrical stimulation, and of course, surgery from the latest minimally invasive techniques, performed on an outpatient basis and with local anaesthetic, to an artificial urinary sphincter or urinary neobladder.

It has been proven that the effect of urinary incontinence on Quality of Life influences growth, family life and the professional development of a person.  And yet, for cultural reasons, occasionally due to an inadequate medical response or simply due to reticence, the patient does not consult a specialist.

Therefore, the patient must not let embarrassment stop him o her from seeking help, if we find out the reason for the urine leak, you could be dry once more.