Incontinence is the ongoing leaking of urine from the bladder. Typically, our bladder lets us make the decision of when we are ready to empty it or not, but when incontinence strikes, it is hard for adults to deal with both emotionally and physically. Behavioral changes can sometimes help ward off accidental incontinence; so can identifying any medications that may be contributing to the problem and a last ditch effort is to offer forms of catheterization. Adult incontinence brings with it feelings of inadequacy and low self worth so it is important that whatever approach is used, the doctor discusses it openly with the patient and shares the positives and negatives about the procedure.

Behavioral Changes

Adult incontinence can often be helped through some initial steps of behavioral changes. Drinking less fluid before going to bed is a way of ensuring that the bladder is not full during sleep. This is especially usefully for individuals who are deep sleepers and struggle to wake up at bodily hints to empty the bladder. Another behavioral change example would be someone having a patient go to the restroom at regular intervals, typically hourly or other predetermined schedule. By emptying the bladder at normal intervals, the adult incontinence is less likely to occur for patients with only slight incontinent issues.

Medication Changes

For some individuals, incontinent issues may stem from medications that they are on. It is important to discuss changes in medications and the onset of incontinence. Some medications may affect the function of the bladder or may make it difficult for the patient to wake up in the middle of the night, resulting in adult incontinence.

Catheterization

Usually, catheterization is the last option for individuals suffering from incontinence issues. By the time catheterization is discussed, the patient has often been struggling for several months and has already tried both behavioral changes and medication changes. Only after all other avenues have been exhausted will a doctor use catheterization for adults with incontinence issues.

Through the process of elimination, your doctor can work directly with you to figure out what the best solution is for your incontinence issues. Starting with behavioral modifications and medication changes your doctor will help try to identify if other efforts can help the incontinence issues. Only after those changes were not effective will your doctor begin discussing catheters and their possible use in your treatment.