“Kegel Exercises”: Putting The Squeeze On Male Urinary Incontinence

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.