Involuntary loss of urine, known as urinary incontinence, affects over 25 million Americans. In many cases, incontinence is caused by a medical problem with controlling the bladder. Functional urinary incontinence occurs when a person recognizes the need to urinate, but is unable to access a toilet due to a separate medical or environmental issue.
What are common signs of Functional Urinary Incontinence?
There are many temporary or long-term medical issues that can result in functional urinary incontinence. Some common causes of functional urinary incontinence include:
- Limited physical mobility due to handicaps like arthritis or back pain
- Cognitive issues such as dementia
- Depression or anxiety
- Impaired vision
- Environmental barriers to the restroom
- Medication side effects
The treatment goal for functional urinary incontinence is resolving the medical or environmental issue causing a person not to make it to the restroom in time.
It is possible to have another type of bladder incontinence in addition to functional incontinence. If you or a loved one are suffering from accidents due to incontinence, it is time to see a physician. They’ll perform tests to determine the type and severity of your incontinence, and create an individual treatment plan for you.
Don’t suffer alone with incontinence: the doctors at the Incontinence Institute can help. Take our free incontinence quiz and then contact our discreet Medical Concierge today.