How Common Is Urinary Incontinence in Men?

Urinary incontinence, or the involuntary loss of urine, can be an embarrassing problem, and one that affects your emotional and psychological well-being in addition to your physical health. It’s not an inevitable part of aging, either. There are treatments that can help. 

Dr. Paul Chung is an expert in treating men’s health issues, including urinary incontinence. He’s spent years in developing deep expertise and offers every patient consideration, compassion, and appropriate treatment. At his offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, you can discuss your problems with urinary incontinence with him without embarrassment or hesitation. 

Types of urinary incontinence

Not all urinary incontinence happens for the same reasons. For example, one type of urinary incontinence is functional incontinence. This type of incontinence is caused by limited physical function—you have a problem that prevents you from getting to the bathroom in time, such as a broken leg. 

Other types are urge incontinence, which is when you feel a sudden, overwhelming urge to urinate. This type can be particularly distressing if you’re far from a restroom when it happens. Overflow incontinence is when your bladder doesn’t empty completely and you have dribbles of urine throughout the day. 

Finally, the most common type of incontinence among men is stress incontinence. You may leak urine when you sneeze, lift something heavy, or cough. Anything that puts extra pressure on your bladder. 

Prostate cancer and other urological issues that require surgery can increase the likelihood of developing urinary incontinence. 

Why you should seek treatment

You may think that you can just live with urinary incontinence, but there are some good reasons to seek treatment. You may find that you participate in fewer social activities because you’re embarrassed by your problem. A social life and connections with friends and family is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. 

You may avoid activities that involve being far from a restroom, such as trips or even outings within your town. Your life becomes more limited when you feel like you’re tethered to the bathroom. 

Remaining connected to your friends, family, and community is valuable for your health, and living a life that includes plenty of physical activity is crucial for good health. Urinary incontinence can make both more difficult, but so slowly you don’t even realize it’s happening. 

Treatments available

Many treatments are available for urinary incontinence. Dr. Chung makes recommendations based on your specific situation and considers things like your overall health, your medical history, and many others. Two solutions he’s seen work for many men include: 

Urethral sling

This is a mesh sling that slightly compresses your urethra and places it just where it should be within your body. Once the sling is implanted, you don’t have to do anything. 

Artificial urinary sphincter

The muscle that closes your urethra until you need to urinate is called a urinary sphincter. When it doesn’t function properly it can cause urinary incontinence. 

In some cases, Dr. Chung recommends an artificial urinary sphincter, which includes a cuff that circles your urethra, a pump in your scrotal skin, and a balloon in your abdomen. When you need to urinate, you gently squeeze the pump, which opens the cuff and allows the urine to pass through. 

You don’t have to live with the discomfort, embarrassment, or limitations of urinary incontinence. Schedule an appointment at any of our three locations today, by phone or online, to find out what your options for treatment may be.