Urinary incontinence is one of many dysuria. (Photo courtesy of Dong) In the field of urology, dysuria is the most common problem that plagues elderly patients. With the increase of age, patients have mild urinary incontinence symptoms, leading to repeated urinary tract infections and serious renal failure. Among many symptoms of dysuria, urinary incontinence is more distressing.
The International Association of Urinary Incontinence Standard Terminology defines urinary incontinence as "involuntary outflow of urine, which is a social or health problem and can be proved objectively. In 2002, the International Abstinence Society (ICS) defined urinary incontinence as "when a person complains that he has any involuntary urine leakage." Urinary incontinence is a symptom rather than a disease. Symptoms will appear at all ages, not a normal aging process, but a common phenomenon of the elderly.
According to the estimation of the American Institute of Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ), more than 50% of the elderly in the United States have this problem (AHRQ, 1996), while the prevalence rate of urinary incontinence among the elderly over 65 years old in Taiwan Province Province is about 2 1.6%, 15% for men and 27.5% for women. Tseng, 2000).
Urinary incontinence is not life-threatening, but it is embarrassing, which has a negative impact on the patient's body and mind, and also has a considerable burden and impact on the family and society. Because its main population is the elderly, it is considered to be one of the most common hidden dangers of disability for the elderly population, and it is also the biggest problem for menopausal women (Long, 2007).