Gas and gas pains[flatulence or farts]

Gas and gas pains can strike at the worst possible moment — during an important meeting or on a crowded elevator. Although passing intestinal gas (flatus) usually isn't serious, it can be embarrassing.

Anything that causes intestinal gas or is associated with constipation or diarrhea can lead to gas pains. These pains generally occur when gas builds up in your intestines, and you're not able to expel it. Most people pass gas at least 10 times a day.

The good news is that although you can't stop gas and gas pains, a few simple measures can help reduce the amount of gas you produce and relieve your discomfort and embarrassment.

Symptoms;

For most people, the signs and symptoms of gas and gas pain are all too obvious. They include:

• Voluntary or involuntary passing of gas, either as belches or as flatus

• Sharp, jabbing pains or cramps in your abdomen. These pains may occur anywhere in your abdomen and can change locations quickly and get better quickly.

• A 'knotted' feeling in your abdomen.

• Swelling and tightness in your abdomen (bloating)

• .Sometimes, gas pains may be constant or so intense that it feels like something is seriously wrong.

Gas can sometimes be mistaken for;

• Heart disease

• Gallstones

• Appendicitis

Causes;

High-fiber foods that commonly cause gas and gas pains include:Gas forms when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. Unfortunately, healthy, high-fiber foods are often the worst offenders. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order and regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels. But fiber can also lead to the formation of gas.

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Beans and peas (legumes)

Fiber supplements containing psyllium, such as Metamucil, may cause such problems, especially if added to your diet too quickly. Carbonated beverages, such as soda and beer, also cause gas.

Other causes of excess gas include:

• Swallowed air. You swallow air every time you eat or drink. You may also swallow air when you're nervous, eat too fast, chew gum, suck on candies or drink through a straw. Some of that air finds its way into your lower digestive tract.

• Another health condition. Excess gas may be a symptom of a more serious chronic condition. Examples include diverticulitis or an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Excess gas and bloating may also be a symptom of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine from conditions such as diabetes.

• Food intolerances. If your gas and bloating occur mainly after eating dairy products, it may be because your body isn't able to break down the sugar (lactose) in dairy foods. Other food intolerances, especially to gluten — a protein found in wheat and some other grains — also can result in excess gas, diarrhea and even weight loss.
• Artificial additives. It's also possible that your system can't tolerate artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol, found in some sugar-free foods, gums and candies. Many healthy people develop gas and diarrhea when they consume these sweeteners.

                

Risk factors:

• You're more likely to have problems with gas if you:
  • Are lactose or gluten intolerant
  • Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes
  • Drink carbonated beverages
  • Have a chronic intestinal condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel dise

Tests and diagnosis:

During the physical exam, your doctor may check your abdomen to see if it's distended and listen for a hollow sound while gently tapping your abdomen. A hollow sound usually indicates the presence of excess gas.

Treatments and drugs:

If your gas pains are caused by another health problem, treating the underlying condition may offer relief. Otherwise, bothersome gas is generally treated with dietary measures, lifestyle modifications or over-the-counter medications. Although the solution isn't the same for everyone, with a little trial and error, most people are able to find some relief.

Diet

The following dietary changes may help reduce the amount of gas your body produces or help gas move more quickly through your system:

                                 

• Try to identify and avoid the foods that affect you the most.

Foods that cause gas problems for many people include beans, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, pears, apples, peaches, prunes, sugar-free candies and chewing gum, whole-wheat bread, bran cereals or muffins, milk, cream, ice cream, ice milk, and beer, sodas and other carbonated beverages.

• Try cutting back on fried and fatty foods. 

Often, bloating results from eating fatty foods. Fat delays stomach emptying and can increase the sensation of fullness.

• Temporarily cut back on high-fiber food

 Add them back gradually over several weeks. For most people, it takes about three weeks for your body to get used to extra fiber. But, some people never adapt.

• Go easy on fiber supplements. 

Try cutting back on the amount you take and build up your intake gradually. If your symptoms remain, you might try a different type of fiber supplement. Be sure to take fiber supplements with a glass of water and drink plenty of liquids throughout the day.

• Reduce your use of dairy products.
  Consuming small amounts of milk products at one time or consuming them with other foods also may make them easier to digest. In some cases, however, you may need to eliminate dairy foods completely.

 Try using low-lactose dairy foods, such as yogurt, instead of milk. Or try using products that help digest lactose, such as Lactaid or Dairy Ease.

Over-the-counter remedies

Some products may help, but they aren't always effective. Consider trying:

• Beano. Add Beano to beans and vegetables to help reduce the amount of gas they produce. For Beano to be effective, you need to take it with your first bite of food. It works best when there's only a little gas in your intestines.

• Lactase supplements. Supplements of the enzyme lactase (Lactaid, Dairy-Ease), which helps you digest lactose, may help if you are lactose intolerant. You might also try dairy products that are lactose-free or have reduced lactose.

• Simethicone. Over-the-counter products that contain simethicone (Gas-X, Gelusil, Mylanta, Mylicon) help break up the bubbles in gas. Although these products are widely used, they haven't been proved effective for gas and gas pain.

• Activated charcoal. Charcoal tablets (CharcoCaps, Charcoal Plus, others) taken before and after a meal also may help. Like simethicone, there's no definitive evidence that charcoal relieves gas. In addition, charcoal may stain the inside of your mouth and your clothing if the tablets get on your clothes.

Lifestyle and home remedies:

• Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly and don't gulp. If you have a hard time slowing down, put down your fork between each bite.

• Avoid chewing gum, sucking on hard candies and drinking through a straw. These activities can cause you to swallow more air.

• Check your dentures. Poorly fitting dentures can cause you to swallow excess air when you eat and drink.

• Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking can increase the amount of air you swallow.

• Exercise. Physical activity may help move gas through the digestive tract.

Natural way to stop farts:

   

                     

Causes Of Snoring And How To Treat It....

Snoring is the hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when your breathing is partially obstructed in some way while you're sleeping. Sometimes snoring may indicate a serious health condition.

As many as half of adults snore sometimes. Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe, which creates those irritating sounds.

Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime or sleeping on your side, can help stop snoring.

In addition, medical devices and surgery are available that may reduce disruptive snoring. However, these aren't suitable or necessary for everyone who snores. 

 

Symptoms:

Depending on the cause of your snoring, your symptoms may include:

• Noise during sleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sore throat
• Restless sleep
• Gasping or choking at night
• High blood pressure
• Chest pain at night

Causes;

Many factors, such as the anatomy of your mouth and sinuses, alcohol consumption, allergies, a cold, and your weight, can lead to snoring.

When you doze off and progress from a light sleep to a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue and throat relax. The tissues in your throat can relax enough that they partially block your airway and vibrate. And, the more narrowed your airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes. This causes tissue vibration to increase, which causes your snoring to grow louder.

The following conditions can affect the airway and cause snoring:

Your mouth anatomy.

 Having a low, thick soft palate can narrow your airway. People who are overweight may have extra tissues in the back of their throat that may narrow their airways. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased.

Alcohol consumption.

 Snoring also can be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction.

Nasal problems.

 Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum) may contribute to your snoring.

Sleep apnea.

 
 Snoring also may be associated with obstructive sleep apnea. In this serious condition, your throat tissues partially or completely block your airway, preventing you from breathing.

Sleep apnea often is characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence when breathing stops or nearly stops. Eventually, this reduction or pause in breathing may signal you to wake up, and you may awaken with a loud snort or gasping sound. You may sleep lightly due to disrupted sleep. This pattern of breathing pauses may be repeated many times during the night.

People with sleep apnea usually experience periods when breathing slows or stops at least five times during every hour of sleep.

Risk factors;

Risk factors that may contribute to snoring include:

• Being a man. Men are more likely to snore or have sleep apnea than are women.

• Being overweight. People who are overweight or obese are more likely to snore or have obstructive sleep apnea.

• Having a narrow airway. Some people may have a long soft palate, or large tonsils or adenoids, which can narrow the airway and cause snoring.

• Drinking alcohol. Alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, increasing the risk of snoring.

• Having nasal problems. If you have a structural defect in your airway, such as a deviated septum, or your nose is chronically congested, your risk of snoring is greater.

• Having a family history of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.

 

Complications;

Habitual snoring may be more than just a nuisance. Depending on the cause of your snoring, it may result in:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Frequent frustration or anger
• Difficulty concentrating
• A greater risk of high blood pressure, heart conditions and stroke
• An increased risk of behavior problems, such as aggression or learning problems, in children with obstructive sleep apnea
• An increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to lack of sleep 

To diagnose your condition,

 your doctor will review your signs and symptoms, and your medical history. Your doctor will also perform a physical examination.

Your doctor may ask your partner some questions about when and how you snore to help assess the severity of the problem. If your child snores, you'll be asked about the severity of your child's snoring.

Imaging

• Your doctor may request an imaging test, such as an X-ray, a computerized tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging, to check the structure of your airway for problems, such as a deviated septum.

Sleep study

• Depending on the severity of your snoring and other symptoms, your doctor may want to conduct a sleep study. Often, sleep studies may be done at home. However, depending upon your other medical problems and other sleep symptoms, you may need to stay overnight at a sleep center to undergo an in-depth analysis of your sleep habits by a team of specialists during a sleep study, called polysomnography.

• In polysomnography, you're connected to many devices and observed overnight. During the sleep study, your brain waves, blood oxygen level, heart rate and breathing rate, sleep stages, and eye and leg movements will be recorded during your sleep.

When a home sleep study doesn't provide the needed information, polysomnography may be needed.

Lifestyle and home remedies

To prevent or quiet snoring, try these tips:

• If you're overweight, lose weight. People who are overweight may have extra tissues in the throat that contribute to snoring. Losing weight can help reduce snoring.

• Sleep on your side. Lying on your back allows your tongue to fall backward into your throat, narrowing your airway and partially obstructing airflow. Try sleeping on your side.

• Raise the head of your bed. Raising the head of your bed by about four inches may help.

• Nasal strips. Adhesive strips applied to your nose help many people increase the area of their nasal passage, enhancing their breathing. These strips aren't effective for people with sleep apnea, however. 

• Treat nasal congestion or obstruction. Having allergies or a deviated septum can limit airflow through your nose. This forces you to breathe through your mouth, increasing the likelihood of snoring.Don't use an oral or spray decongestant for more than three days in a row for acute congestion unless directed to do so by your doctor. Long-term use of these medications can have a rebound effect and make your congestion worse. Ask your doctor about a prescription steroid spray if you have chronic congestion. 

• To correct a structural defect in your airway, such as a deviated septum, you may need surgery.
  
  
• Limit or avoid alcohol and sedatives.  Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages at least two hours before bedtime, and let your doctor know about your snoring before taking sedatives. Sedatives and alcohol depress your central nervous system, causing excessive relaxation of muscles, including the tissues in your throat
  
  
  

Treatments and drugs;

To treat your condition, your doctor likely will first recommend lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime and changing sleeping positions.

 If lifestyle changes don't eliminate snoring, your doctor may suggest:

• Oral appliances.
  
  
    Oral appliances are form-fitting dental mouthpieces that help advance the position of your tongue and soft palate to keep your air passage open. 
  
  
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
  
   This approach involves wearing a pressurized mask over your nose while you sleep. The mask is attached to a small pump that forces air through your airway, which keeps it open. CPAP (SEE-pap) eliminates snoring and treats sleep apnea.
  
  Although CPAP is the most reliable method of treating obstructive sleep apnea, and it's effective, some people find it uncomfortable or have trouble adjusting to the noise or feel of the machine. Your doctor may be able to make adjustments to the device if you're having trouble adjusting to the machine, such as adding a heated humidifier or nasal pillows, that might help make you more comfortable.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Palatal implants;In this procedure, known as the pillar procedure, doctors inject braided strands of polyester filament into your soft palate, which stiffens it and reduces snoring. Palatal implants don't have any known serious side effects; however, the benefits and safety of the procedure are still being studied.

• Traditional surgery. In a procedure called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), you're given general anesthetics and your surgeon tightens and trims excess tissues from your throat — a type of face-lift for your throat. The risks of this procedure include bleeding, infection, pain and nasal congestion.

• Laser surgery. In laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (LAUPPP), an outpatient surgery for snoring, your doctor uses a small hand-held laser beam to shorten the soft palate and remove your uvula. Removing excess tissue enlarges your airway and reduces vibration. You may need more than one session to get your snoring under control.
  
  Laser surgery and palatal implants aren't generally recommended as treatment for sleep apnea, because they haven't been proved effective for sleep apnea. Possible risks from these procedures include pain, infection, bleeding and nasal congestion.
  
  
• Radiofrequency tissue ablation (somnoplasty). In this outpatient procedure, you'll be given local anesthetic. Doctors use a low-intensity radiofrequency signal to shrink tissue in the soft palate to help reduce snoring. The effectiveness of this newer procedure needs further study. Generally, this procedure is less painful than other types of snoring surgery.

Acidity – causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

 Acidity and heartburn are due to presence of too much acid in the stomach that causes exasperation of the 
 gastrointestinal casing. This causes a blazing pain. When this excessive acid leaks back into the throat this 
 inflames and the reaction of heartburn is produced.

Causes of Acidity and Heartburn 
 

The following circumstances can create excessive acid in stomach causing acidity and heartburn.

• Consumption of rich and spicy foods
•  Eating speedily, very fast devoid of proper chewing
•  Eating hurriedly while beneath stress
•  Inappropriate sleep
•  Alcohol utilization
•  Pregnant women may undergo because when the baby grows, the uterus exerts force on the digestive area
•  Overweight people may bear because of unnecessary pressure on their digestive tract.

• Stomach ailments like peptic ulcers, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, stomach tumors, etc.

Medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 

                                         



Symptoms

Acidity can be extremely unpleasant and be accompanied with the following symptoms.

1. Burning in the stomach
2. Burning in the throat
3. Restlessness
4. Belching
5. Nausea
6. Sour taste
7. Indigestion
8. Constipation

 Treatment

Usually, acidity is treated with the help of antacids which contain either magnesium or calcium or aluminium containing compounds. These antacids neutralise the excess acid in the stomach thus providing relief from the symptoms.

Sometimes, Histamine blocking agents (H2 receptor blockers) such as cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine or nizatidine or proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole and lansoprazole can also be prescribed by your physician. In rare cases, surgery (vagotomy) is performed to reduce the acid sensation. 

 Before you decide to pop that antacid, try using natural remedies.......

Natural treatment of Acidity & Heartburn

• Bananas have defensive action against the acidity and heart burn. Eating a banana every day will stop such conditions

•   Obtain a mixture of 2 tsp of normal apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp raw honey in a glass of water earlier than meals. One of the well liked home remedy for acidity.

•   Stay away from fried foods, pickles, hot spicy foods, vinegar, and chocolate

•   Stay away from raw salad of vegetables like onion, cabbage, radish, and peppers

•   Keep away from unripe high pectin fruits, such as unripe apple. But ripe apple such as delicious apple or fuji apple may help out

•   Grind up the food properly. Do not consume in hurry

•   Do not bounce meals. Do not keep great gap between meals. This produces gas / current of air.

•   Drink lots of water, at least 8 glasses each day

•   Do not eat just previous to going to bed

•   End smoking and cut down on alcohol

 

                                        

Home Remedy for Acidity

•   A good Home Remedy for Acidity is to chew few basil (tulsi) leaves to obtain relief from blazing, nausea and gas

•   Stay a small part of jaggery (gur) in your jaws and slowly suck it. Repeat it each hour till acidity subsides.

Some of the best home remedies for acidity are

•   Eat watermelon, banana or cucumber each hour.

•   Eat a few almonds when your experience heartburn symptoms. This is good Home Remedy for Acidity

•   Gulp coconut water 4-5 periods a day

•   Drink a glass of cold milk for quick relief of heartburn and acidity

•   Drink fresh mint juice gradually after meals. This remedy is best Home Remedies for Acidity

                                         

What Is Urinary Incontinence?

  Urinary incontinence — the loss of bladder control — is a common and often embarrassing problem. The severity of urinary incontinence ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to having an urge to urinate that's so sudden and strong you don't get to a toilet in time. 

 

If urinary incontinence affects your day-to-day activities, don't hesitate to see your doctor. In most cases, simple lifestyle changes or medical treatment can ease your discomfort or stop urinary incontinence. 

 

Symptoms

Urinary incontinence is the inability to control the release of urine from your bladder. Some people experience occasional, minor leaks — or dribbles — of urine. Others wet their clothes frequently. 

Types of urinary incontinence include: 

 

• Stress incontinence:sphincter muscle of the bladder is weakened. In women, physical changes resulting from pregnancy, childbirth and menopause can cause stress incontinence. In men, removal of the prostate gland can lead to stress incontinence. 

•  Urge incontinence. This is a sudden, intense urge to urinate, followed by an involuntary loss of urine. Your bladder muscle contracts and may give you a warning of only a few seconds to a minute to reach a toilet. With urge incontinence, you may need to urinate often, including throughout the night. Urge incontinence may be caused by urinary tract infections, bladder irritants, bowel problems, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, injury or nervous system damage associated with multiple sclerosis. If there's no known cause, urge incontinence is also called overactive bladder.

• Overflow incontinence. If you frequently or constantly dribble urine, you may have overflow incontinence, which is an inability to empty your bladder. Sometimes you may feel as if you never completely empty your bladder. When you try to urinate, you may produce only a weak stream of urine. This type of incontinence may occur in people with a damaged bladder, blocked urethra or nerve damage from diabetes, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. In men, overflow incontinence can also be associated with prostate gland problems.

• Mixed incontinence. If you experience symptoms of more than one type of urinary incontinence, such as stress incontinence and urge incontinence, you have mixed incontinence.

• Functional incontinence. Many older adults, especially people in nursing homes, experience incontinence simply because a physical or mental impairment keeps them from making it to the toilet in time. For example, a person with severe arthritis may not be able to unbutton his or her pants quickly enough. This is called functional incontinence.

• Total incontinence. This term is sometimes used to describe continuous leaking of urine, day and night, or the periodic uncontrollable leaking of large volumes of urine

 

 

 

·      Causes:

Urinary incontinence isn't a disease, it's a symptom. It can be caused by everyday habits, underlying medical conditions or physical problems. A thorough evaluation by your doctor can help determine what's behind your incontinence.

Causes of temporary urinary incontinence:

Certain foods, drinks and medications can cause temporary urinary incontinence. A simple change in habits can bring relief. 

• Alcohol. Alcohol acts as a bladder stimulant and a diuretic, which can cause an urgent need to urinate.

• Over hydration. Drinking a lot of fluids, especially in a short period of time, increases the amount of urine your bladder has to deal with.

• Caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic and a bladder stimulant that can cause a sudden need to urinate.

• Bladder irritation. Carbonated drinks, tea and coffee — with or without caffeine — artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, and foods and beverages that are high in spice, sugar and acid, such as citrus and tomatoes, can aggravate your bladder.

• Medications. Heart medications, blood pressure drugs, sedatives, muscle relaxants and other medications may contribute to bladder control problems.

Easily treatable medical conditions also may be responsible for urinary incontinence.

• Urinary tract infection. Infections can irritate your bladder, causing you to have strong urges to urinate. These urges may result in episodes of incontinence, which may be your only warning sign of a urinary tract infection. Other possible signs and symptoms include a burning sensation when you urinate and foul-smelling urine.

• Constipation. The rectum is located near the bladder and shares many of the same nerves. Hard, compacted stool in your rectum causes these nerves to be overactive and increase urinary frequency. In addition, compacted stool can sometimes interfere with the emptying of the bladder, which may cause overflow incontinence.

Causes of persistent urinary incontinence:

Urinary incontinence can also be a persistent condition caused by underlying physical problems or changes, including:

• Pregnancy and childbirth.  Pregnant women may experience stress incontinence because of hormonal changes and the increased weight of an enlarging uterus. In addition, the stress of a vaginal delivery can weaken muscles needed for bladder control. The changes that occur during childbirth can also damage bladder nerves and supportive tissue, leading to a dropped (prolapsed) pelvic floor. With prolapse, your bladder, uterus, rectum or small bowel can get pushed down from the usual position and protrude into your vagina. Such protrusions can be associated with incontinence.

 

• Changes with aging. Aging of the bladder muscle leads to a decrease in the bladder's capacity to store urine and an increase in overactive bladder symptoms. Risk of overactive bladder increases if you have blood vessel disease, so maintaining good overall health — including stopping smoking, treating high blood pressure and keeping your weight within a healthy range — can help curb symptoms of overactive bladder.

After menopause women produce less estrogen, a hormone that helps keep the lining of the bladder and urethra healthy. With less estrogen, these tissues may deteriorate, which can aggravate incontinence.

• Hysterectomy. In women, the bladder and uterus lie close to one another and are supported by many of the same muscles and ligaments. Any surgery that involves a woman's reproductive system — for example, removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) — may damage the supporting pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to incontinence.

• Painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis). This chronic condition causes painful and frequent urination, and rarely, urinary incontinence.

• Prostatitis. Loss of bladder control isn't a typical sign of prostatitis, which is inflammation of the prostate gland — a walnut-sized organ located just below the male bladder. Even so, urinary incontinence sometimes occurs with this common condition.

• Enlarged prostate. In older men, incontinence often stems from enlargement of the prostate gland, a condition also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

• Prostate cancer. In men, stress incontinence or urge incontinence can be associated with untreated prostate cancer. However, more often, incontinence is a side effect of treatments — surgery or radiation — for prostate cancer.

• Bladder cancer or bladder stones. Incontinence, urinary urgency and burning with urination can be signs and symptoms of bladder cancer or bladder stones. Other signs and symptoms include blood in the urine and pelvic pain.

• Neurological disorders. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, a brain tumor or a spinal injury can interfere with nerve signals involved in bladder control, causing urinary incontinence.

• Obstruction. A tumor anywhere along your urinary tract can block the normal flow of urine and cause incontinence, usually overflow incontinence. Urinary stones — hard, stone-like masses that can form in the bladder — may be to blame for urine leakage. Stones can be present in your kidneys, bladder or ureters.

Risk factors

These factors increase your risk of developing urinary incontinence:

• Sex. Women are more likely than men are to have stress incontinence. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and normal female anatomy account for this difference. However, men with prostate gland problems are at increased risk of urge and overflow incontinence.

• Age. As you get older, the muscles in your bladder and urethra lose some of their strength. Changes with age reduce how much your bladder can hold and increase the chances of involuntary urine release. However, getting older doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have incontinence. Incontinence isn't normal at any age — except during infancy.

• Being overweight. Being obese or overweight increases the pressure on your bladder and surrounding muscles, which weakens them and allows urine to leak out when you cough or sneeze.

• Smoking. A chronic cough associated with smoking can cause episodes of incontinence or aggravate incontinence that has other causes. Constant coughing puts stress on your urinary sphincter, leading to stress incontinence. Smoking may also increase the risk of overactive bladder by causing bladder contractions.

• Other diseases. Kidney disease or diabetes may increase your risk for incontinence.

Complications

Complications of chronic urinary incontinence include:

• Skin problems. Urinary incontinence can lead to rashes, skin infections and sores (skin ulcers) from constantly wet skin.

• Urinary tract infections. Incontinence increases your risk of repeated urinary tract infections.

• Changes in your activities. Urinary incontinence may keep you from participating in normal activities. You may stop exercising, quit attending social gatherings or even stop venturing away from familiar areas where you know the locations of toilets.

• Changes in your work life. Urinary incontinence may negatively affect your work life. Your urge to urinate may cause you to have to get up often during meetings. The problem may disrupt your concentration at work or keep you awake at night, causing fatigue.

• Changes in your personal life.Perhaps most distressing is the impact incontinence can have on your personal life. Your family may not understand your behavior or may grow frustrated at your many trips to the toilet.

refer my next blog.....Treatment for the urinary incontinence