Learn causes of urinary incontinence in men and where you can find treatment
Causes of Incontinence in Men
The rate of incontinence in men (about 1.5 - 5%) is much lower than in women. The risk for urinary incontinence increases with age. In the United States, about 17% of men over age 60 have urinary incontinence. In older men, prostate problems and their treatments are the most common factors that affect the urinary tract. Up to 30% of men who have had surgery to remove their prostate gland experience some degree of urinary incontinence for a short time following the surgery. Most, but not all, of these patients eventually regain control.
Prostate treatments can impair the sphincter muscles that help maintain urinary control. Such treatments can be the cause of stress incontinence in men. They include the following:
- Surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Incontinence occurs in many patients for the first 3 - 6 months after prostate cancer treatment. One year after the procedure, most men regain continence, although leakage can occur.
- Surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Stress incontinence occurs in 1 - 5% of men after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), a common treatment for severe benign prostatic hyperplasia. New minimally invasive treatments for BPH including microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) and radiofrequency ablation have greatly reduced the incidence of incontinence following treatment of the disease.
Read an in-depth report on urinary incontinence with detailed information about causes, diagnosis and treatment for both men and women.
To find a doctor who specializes in treating urinary incontinence in men, call 1-888-Virtua-3.