I am deviating from my usual norm on frugal living by focusing on health issues today. Why am I doing this? Basically to create more awareness on the need to take health issues seriously. This error has led many Nigerians to their untimely death due to our insistence on spending everyday at spiritual homes instead of facing these demons head on. So, today I am focusing on Incontinence….you might wonder what this condition is really called. It is none other than the hydra headed monster most families refuse to talk about or even address due to the stigmatisation attached to this issue. Sometimes, stigmatisation can be worse than the condition itself.

Bed wetting or Incontinence as it is known within the medical parlance,  is any voluntary leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a profound impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence almost always results from an underlying treatable medical condition.

What causes Incontinence?

It can be caused by temporary problems such as urinary tract infection, vaginal infection or irritation, obesity, constipation, smoking, frequent high-impact aerobics or effects of medicine. Incontinence can also be caused by other permanent conditions, such as:

• Aging (bladder holds less urine and and urine stream may be weaker)
• Weakness of muscles that hold the bladder in place.
• Weakness of the bladder itself.
• Weakness of the urethra sphincter muscles.
• Weakness of the pelvic muscles due to pregnancy and a weak and difficult birth.
• Overactive bladder muscles.
• Blocked urethra (caused by prostrate enlargement in men).
• Hormone imbalance in women.
• High calcium levels in the blood.
• Diabetes.
• Prolapsed uterus.
• Structural abnormalities in the urethra.

Women are far more prone to the urinary incontinence than men for several reasons. Childbirth exerts a heavy toll on the bladder and the canal that carries urine from the bladder out of your body. We will be studying the various types of incontinence and appropriate treatments next week. So, remember bedwetting is not a spiritual attack…it can be treated. Have a swell weekend!