Urinary incontinence is a medical condition,
and it’s not your fault
More than an inconvenience, UI is a chronic and complex medical condition that is usually the result of some other underlying medical condition, which should be identified and treated.
Common Underlying Causes of Bladder Leakage
Prostate Cancer
Men may experience incontinence as a side effect of prostate cancer treatment (usually surgery, radiation, or both). Prostate cancer surgery can damage the urinary sphincter or bladder wall, while radiation may cause bladder irritation or urine leakage from nerve damage.
On average, 67 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every day.
Up to 16% of patients suffer stress urinary incontinence following robot assisted prostatectomy.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Prostate enlargement is common in men over the age of 40. As it gets bigger, the prostate can block the flow of urine through the urethra, resulting in frequent urination, a slow stream of urine and sometimes urge or overflow incontinence. A common treatment for BPH, Transurethral Resection of the Prostate, or TURP for short, can result in urinary incontinence as side effect.
Stress Urinary Incontinence (Passive) vs. Urge Incontinence (Active)
Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)
This occurs when something has physically caused the sphincters to be damaged; typically, surgical trauma from something like removal of the prostate, radiation or other cancer treatment. Prostate- or bladder-related treatment can cause incontinence—the question is how severe is the damage.
Urge Incontinence
This is an issue where the bladder actively contracts with a lack of control, often seen with neurological challenges like ALS, dementia and Multiple Sclerosis. In these cases, it’s ‘bad signaling’ that is causing the issue and treatment often involves sedatives or drugs to calm the nerve system.
It’s more common than you think
1 in 4 American men over 40 lives with distressing urinary symptoms. Unfortunately, only 20% of men with this condition seek treatment.
You don’t have to suffer: there are many solutions for urinary incontinence
From adult absorbent products to surgery, and everything in between, there are a wide range of treatment options for what you’re going through. See what’s right for you.
Explore Types of Solutions