Have you ever turned the key in your door and felt the urge to urinate? Believe it or not, you’re not alone…
Latchkey incontinence is a type of urge incontinence as a sudden urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine. The condition is also known as “detrusor instability” or “spasmodic bladder”. Those with urge incontinence may need to urinate frequently throughout the day and often through the night and urges can be triggered by bizarre things such as a tap running or the sound of the rain.
The world of urge incontinence urge incontinence is one full of toilet mapping and racing to public bathrooms. Planning a day where your bladder does not take the driving seat can be hard. It is not surprising that latchkey incontinence can cause isolation, fear of being away from a toilet and even depression. 55 year old Catherine states, “I would only leave the house if I needed to, and my life was a constant battle between having fun or staying near a toilet. Specific things could set it off, such as turning a key in a lock. It sounds stupid but it really can ruin your life if you let. Until I visited a Doctor, I felt completely alone.” Many people with urge incontinence even report that the amount of urine they leak is much larger volumes than what is reported by those with stress incontinence. So, what can cause this latchkey phenomenon? Let’s take a look at the science. Lets look at the science first.
Ultimately, urge incontinence is caused by abnormal bladder contractions.
In individuals with urge incontinence, the muscles of the bladder contract with enough force to override the sphincter muscles of the urethra. This is the tube that takes urine out of the body. For this to occur, a condition, nerve damage or weakening of muscles has to trigger this.
The Causes and Risk Factors
For women, the likelihood of latchkey urgency increases with age, pregnancy and menopause as well as other lifestyle factors. Other common reasons for types of urge incontinence are:- Damage to the nerves of the bladder. The condition is known to be linked to Stroke, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and other conditions that effect the brain’s ability to send messages to the bladder via the spinal cord.
- Irritation to the bladder. Infections such as urinary tract infections can cause the bladder to become irritated and increases the sense of urgency.
- Constipation. Being constipated can cause a number of problems for the bladder. It can lead to concentrated urine, which can irritate the bladder. A full bowel can also press on the bladder, making incontinence urges worse. To avoid constipation, increase your soluble and insoluble fibre intake.
- Late Adulthood
- Having a prostatectomy
- Obesity
- Having severe injury to the bladder
Have You Experienced Urge Incontinence?
Post a Question on our Forum
Latchkey Incontinence and the Brain
Outside of science, latchkey urgency can also be a force of habit. Some specialists argue that we can easily associate objects to actions. Psychotherapist Ginnie Love asserts, “the mere glance of an object that we relate to an action can jump start the brain's process to a more urgent need to experience it, all subconsciously. This is much like the training of a dog or cat.” A study completed at the University of Utah found that relaxing the mind may be powerful when it comes to reducing bladder urge issues. Recently, Doctors at Loyola University Health System conducted a clinical trial using cognitive therapy for those with urge incontinence. They found cognitive therapy and practicing calming the mind, to be an effective management strategy. Being aware of the association between turning a key and toileting can help prevent this pattern.
Light Urge Incontinence Products
Buy TENA Comfort Mini Plus on Allanda
£2.75
- Discreet Comfortable Small Pads
- Fast Dry Core
- Body Shaped
- Waterproof Backing
Buy iD Expert Light Mini on Allanda
£1.89
- Specially designed for women with light incontinence
- Soft material
- Maximum Discretion
Buy LilleSuprem Light Extra on Allanda
£3.50
- Discreet pads for light to moderate incontinence
- Soft, elasticated sides
- Breathable textile backing
- Anatomically shaped
Buy Attends Soft 1 Mini on Allanda
£1.40
- Soft textile shaped incontinence pads
- Breathable back sheet
- Small discreet liner
Heavy Urge Incontinence Products
Buy TENA Flex Maxi on Incontinence Supermarket
£15.49
- Superfit Waistbelt
- Belted for Security
- Maximum absorbency
- Breathable material
Buy Attends Pull Ons 8 on Incontinence Supermarket
- Absorbent core to reduce the risk of leakage
- Flexible shape
- Allows freedom of movement
- Active zone area
Buy iD Expert Belt Maxi on Incontinence Supermarket
£8.35
- Velcro Fastening for security
- Cotton Feel
- Super Absorbent Polymers
- Anti-leaf cuffs
Buy TENA Slip Maxi on Incontinence Supermarket
£12.55
- Fixation Tabs
- Fully Breathable
- Curved Elastics
- Close Body Fit
SUPRISING FACT:
In the UK, 24% of older people are affected by urinary incontinence!
What Do Specialists Recommend?
- Cut down on the caffeine. It is known for the condition to become worse after consumption of bladder irritants such as caffeine in tea, coffee and fizzy drinks. If you do struggle from
- Wait a few minutes. Do not got to the toilet as soon as you get in the house. Train yourself to wait a few minutes before visiting the toilet, so that this becomes easier and easier. Specialist Alia Hoyt states, “train yourself to wait five minutes more and then longer over time. Filling it with more urine stretches it and allows it to hold more”.
- Relax the mind. Although you need to consider what you are putting in the body, you also need to control the mind. Taking deep breaths and trying to rid the sense of “panic” can also calm your bladder. It has been shown that stress and incontinence are actually often linked.
- Treat the brain as a muscle. Think of the brain as a muscle that requires nurture to function properly. Provide it with healthy food, regular exercise and hydration. In fact, a study has shown that drinking too little fluid promotes infection and can worsen incontinence urges!
- Practice Pelvic floor Exercises. You have probably heard of pelvic floor exercises and considered them a waste of time in comparison to incontinence surgery. However, they can and do work for latchkey incontinence with patience. Read about how to do pelvic floor exercises here.
Originally posted 2020-08-04 09:00:06.
My wife was diagnosed of Parkinsons Disease at age 59. She had slurred
speech and severe tremors, she was put on sinemet and Siferol for over
14 months. During this time span she was also diagnosed with dementia.
Her care provider adivce we start on herbal treatment from ULTIMATE
HEALTH HOME (Reach them at ultimatehealthhome@gmail.com). Within 2
months on the treatment she improved dramatically. At the end of the
full treatment course, the disease is totally under control, no case
of hallucination, tremors, weakness, muscle pain and she can walk
just fine