We use the term urinary incontinence to describe the involuntary leakage of urine. It is a serious disorder, able to cause not just hygiene problems, but also financial and social problems.

This disorder primarily affects women and its incidence increases from 35 years onwards. However, while it is certain that any woman of any age can suffer from urinary incontinence, from a woman who has just given birth to a menopausal or elderly woman, it is equally certain that it is difficult to identify the real incidence of the phenomenon, due to the difficulty of making precise clinical observations. In fact, many women, due to embarrassment, the belief that this is a paraphysiological condition linked to age or a lack of knowledge about possible treatments, are often reluctant to report this problem.
In men, urinary incontinence is much less frequent and usually results from operations on the prostate. It is less invalidating in men and can be treated with good results.

From a clinical point of view, it is possible to identify 3 different types of urinary incontinence:

• stress incontinence, as a result of increased abdominal pressure such as coughing fits, sneezing, etc.;
• urge incontinence, as a result of an compelling stimulus to urinate;
• mixed incontinence, the most commonplace.

Only after an adequate diagnostic process (which may include a urogynaecological visit, urine test and urine culture, kidney and bladder ultrasound, voiding diary and urodynamic test) can adequate therapeutic treatment be established (which may be rehabilitative, pharmacological or surgical).

Thanks to its technological experience and ability to come up with innovative ideas, Androline offers patients instruments able to support and boost the efficacy of the treatments they are receiving, such as:

• Stimulator
• Urine flow meter