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Kegel
Exercises: Putting The Squeeze On Male Urinary Incontinence
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It is believed that
between seven and thirteen million American men
suffer with some form of urinary incontinence and at least forty
million men world wide. Urinary incontinence
is the inability to
control or manage urine passing or voiding; it is the involuntary
passing/voiding of urine.
Many men struggle each and everyday with urinary incontinence and for
them it is the source of immeasurable shame and humiliation. Without a
moment's notice some men have had to scramble to find a bathroom to
release themselves of the need to urinate--all too often they failed.
Public gatherings as well as private and intimate settings are not off
limits when it comes to an overactive bladder (OAB).
An overactive bladder is
directly responsible for a particular type or
form of male urinary incontinence called or referred to as "urge" or
"urgency" incontinence. As described in the scenario above urge
incontinence gives no advance warning nor does it allow someone time to
get to the bathroom; instead, it strikes suddenly and almost shockingly
and there is virtually no way to disrupt or delay the outpouring of
flood waters (urine).
Men who suffer with prostate problems-- in particular prostate cancer
often decide to have the prostate removed; this type of
surgery
is called a prostatectomy. If the lymph nodes nearby are to be removed
as well the surgery is referred to as a radical prostatectomy. In many
cases post surgery complications often leave the patient suffering with
urinary incontinence. Usually post surgical stress urinary incontinence is
temporary and in most cases discontinues after the patient has properly
healed; however, during the healing period any type of physical
activity or sneezing, laughing, or even coughing can cause urinary
leakage.
Urinary leakage that happens as a result of laughing, coughing,
sneezing or practically any type of exertion is known as "stress"
incontinence. Normally, stress incontinence is more often than not
associated with females; females who are pregnant; females who have
just had a child; females in their fifties and older, and especially
women who are in menopause., but men who have recently undergone a
prostatectomy will also suffer with stress incontinence for a temporary
period or until the healing is done--that is, it most cases. For a
small percentage of men they end up suffering with stress incontinence
for the rest of their lives.
Male overflow incontinence is
another form or type of urinary
incontinence that afflicts a large number of men who suffer with some
type of urinary incontinence. Overflow incontinence is a direct cause
of an overactive bladder. An overactive bladder in almost all cases is
a result of a urinary
tract infection (UTI) that has attacked the
bladder. The culprit in over 80% of the cases is a bacterium; bacterium
Escherichia coli or e coli that have invaded the urinary tract through
the urethra or rectum.
When overflow incontinence occurs the bladder is unable to remove the
urine that is in it. The male bladder acts as a reservoir or holding
tank for the urine that has been sent down from the kidneys via the
ureter tubes; however, if for some reason the bladder is blocked from
sending the urine out of it; it will not only become more infected
(bacteria) due to the standing urine but the urine will begin to leak
out of the bladder resulting in urine leakage. Overflow incontinence is
defined as the uncontrollable leakage of urine; it is often attributed
to a blocked urethra (infection, fungus, virus, injury, anatomical
complication) and/or an inflamed or enlarged (prostatitis) prostate
that has become infected (dysfunctional) by a urinary tract infection.
Kegel exercises are designed and initiated to positively impact the
pelvic floor muscles or the pubococcygeus muscles (PB) that are located
on the pelvic floor. These muscles can prove to be instrumental in
helping men regain control of their urine or urine management Starting
with urge or urgency incontinence the kegel exercise regimen can help
strengthen the very muscles that are critical to control irresistable
urges to urinate. By employing the kegel exercise regimen the ability
to halt urine discharge to the point where a bathroom can be safely
reached is no small miracle.
Thousand and thousand of accidents happen all year long around the
United States where men actually urinate on themselves in board
meetings, conferences, formal dinners, shopping, restaurants,
bars and grills, and even at the doctors office. An overactive bladder
doesn't care where you are; where you're going, and who you
are.
Many, many men are petrified and horrified at the possibility of having
to endure another embarrassing and humiliating scene where their
bladder forces them to urinate on themselves in public or intimate
settings. These types of encounters have wrecked psychological and
emotional suffering on millions of men worldwide.
But through strengthening the pubococcygeus muscles or pelvic floor
muscles scenes like the one describe above can be curtailed
substantially or in a large number of cases completely eliminated due
to the effective strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles. Whether its
urge incontinence; overflow incontinence, or stress incontinence, Kegel
exercises have proven to be quite beneficial in the fight against
urinary incontinence in men. And the great part about it is that Kegel
exercises can be done almost anytime and almost at any place.
Once Kegel exercises have been implemented and correctly practiced the
pelvic floor muscles will automatically become stronger. For some men
it happens in less than three weeks, and for others it sometimes take
from six to ten weeks before results are truly noticeable; it all has
to do with your particular problem and the complexity of it, as well as
the time and effort that is put in to strengthening the pelvic floor
muscles. One thing is for sure, those who are dedicated and serious
about their Kegel exercise regimen almost always receive positive
results in a fairly reasonable amount of time; however, those who put
in the least amount of time and effort similarly often reap the least
benefits from it--it stands to reason.
The key to reaping positive dividends from applying Kegel exercises is
to do them correctly and routinely. There is a wealth of information
available that describes in detail the correct method(s) on how to do
Kegel exercises. In addition to that there are a number of videos on
line that gives a step by step tutorial on how to do the exercises
correctly; along with good instructions available there are different
Kegel exercise tools and equipment for those who have the money and the
will to purchase them.
Kegel exercises are not a panacea and everyone does not reach the end
of the rainbow after successfully implementing a Kegel regimen, but for
many, many people Kegel exercises have made the difference in them
being able to live a dignified existence with their self respect in
tack, as oppose to living in shame and disgrace from suffering through
one humiliating scene after another.
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