Urinary Incontinence in Men
When To Call a Doctor
See your health professional immediately if your urinary incontinence does not go away or is accompanied by:
- Weakness or numbness in your buttocks, legs, and feet.
- Fever, chills, and abdominal or side pain.
- Blood in your urine or burning with urination.
- A change in your bowel habits.
Call your health professional if:
- You have a problem with urinary incontinence that is getting worse.
- Uncontrolled loss of urine is enough of a problem that you need to wear an absorbent pad.
- Incontinence interferes with your life in any way.
Do not be embarrassed to discuss incontinence with your health professional. Incontinence is not an inevitable result of aging. Most people with incontinence can be helped or cured.
If you have a sudden change in your ability to urinate and you are not sure if it is related to your urinary incontinence, see the topic Urinary Problems and Injuries, Age 12 and Older.
Watchful Waiting
If you have chronic urinary incontinence that begins slowly, you may be able to control the problem yourself. (See the Home Treatment section of this topic.) If home treatment does not control your problem, or if incontinence interferes with your lifestyle, ask your health professional to recommend a treatment.
If you have urinary incontinence that begins suddenly (acute), call your health professional. Acute incontinence is often caused by urinary tract problems or medicines and can be easily corrected.
Who To See
Your family doctor or general practitioner can diagnose and treat some cases of urinary incontinence. You may also be referred to:
If you need surgery to treat your incontinence, it is important to find a surgeon who is experienced in the type of surgery you need, usually a urologist.
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment
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| Author: | Douglas Dana Ralph Poore | Last Updated: November 29, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology | |
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