Urinary incontinence, or the involuntary loss of bladder control, is challenging and often distressing and can significantly impact your quality of life.
It’s commonly associated with aging, childbirth, high-impact sports, and certain surgeries. However, you may be wondering, can chemotherapy cause urinary problems? Research shows that there is a relationship between chemotherapy, cancer, and urinary incontinence, direct or indirect.
Yes, when treating cancer, your body undergoes a great deal of trauma. An increase in urinary incontinence could result from nerve damage, bladder stress, and hormonal changes.
Not only can chemotherapy cause urinary problems, but other types of cancer treatments can do so
the same.
These factors can indirectly contribute to urinary incontinence, and you may find it difficult to reach the bathroom in time or manage continence effectively. While cancer treatments and chemotherapy cause urinary problems, learn more about how to manage urinary incontinence from cancer treatments.
Pelvic floor devices like Elitone work by engaging your muscles in exercises like Kegels. Kegels are performed by engaging your pelvic floor muscles, which support your bladder.
Strengthening them can help to reduce leaks. However, they may feel invasive as they need to be inserted and take up dedicated time. Luckily, Elitone can do Kegels for you without the intrusiveness.
Adjustments such as fluid management and dietary changes can make an impact. Your diet can be a way of reducing the number of leaks that you have. Though it may not treat your incontinence, it can make it less of a hassle.
This can be used to relieve symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and help muscles work the way they should. It can be useful, but it can be difficult to schedule and can be cost-prohibitive depending on your insurance.
A pelvic floor reconstruction is a major surgical procedure designed to restore strength and integrity to the pelvic floor. This is invasive and expensive, and there can be a lot of side effects to this surgery.
With how invasive and exhausting cancer treatment is, why not have a treatment option that doesn’t intrude on your body? Can chemotherapy cause urinary problems?
Yes, but solutions are available to help. Elitone is an external FDA-cleared solution that treats female urinary incontinence in 20-minute sessions a week at home. Elitone can reduce leaks in as few as six weeks and is 95% effective.
Can chemotherapy cause urinary incontinence?
Yes, chemotherapy can cause urinary problems, like incontinence. This can be a direct result of the treatment or indirect.
What are the direct causes of urinary problems from chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy can directly cause urinary issues by damaging nerves, stressing the bladder, and causing hormonal changes. These effects can lead to a loss of bladder control.
What are the indirect causes of urinary incontinence after cancer treatment?
Indirect causes include secondary effects of cancer treatment like fatigue, weakness, and mobility issues. These can make it difficult to get to the bathroom in time, leading to accidents.
How can I manage urinary incontinence after cancer treatment?
You can manage urinary incontinence through various methods, including pelvic floor exercises (like Kegels), lifestyle changes, pelvic floor physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery.
Products like Elitone. An easy-to-use, FDA-cleared external solution can also help treat female urinary incontinence.
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