Urethral stricture and urinary incontinence are two different conditions with some overlap in terms of their symptoms and age being a risk factor for both. However, unlike urethral strictures, urinary incontinence is more common in ageing women than in men. So, what’s the connection between the two conditions? The answer to that question is in the urethral stricture causes and urinary incontinence causes, and studying them will help you find the connection yourself. Also, it’s not just the causes; the symptoms of both these conditions can help you shed some light on the connection. But first, let’s take a closer look at these two conditions.

What Is Urethral Stricture?

Urethral strictures are a common urinary disorder among ageing men; however, they can affect women as well. The condition leads to blockages or strictures in the urethra, which creates trouble in the passage of urine. The condition can be caused by injury to the pelvic region, urinary infections, and even STIs. 

Common urethral stricture symptoms include being unable to urinate adequately, urinating over eight times a day or more than two times a night, and being unable to hold urine due to urgency. The condition can be treated with the help of minimally surgical procedures, but they can reoccur. The risk factors for urethral strictures include other urinary conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH.

What is Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence or overactive bladder is a common urinary disorder that can affect women more than men. The main reason behind this is because menopause, childbirth, and hormonal changes are common causes of this condition. For men, an enlarged prostate can be a cause of urinary incontinence, which, as you would remember, is a risk factor for urethral strictures too. 

There are different types of urinary incontinence, and they affect your body under different conditions. One of the most common types is induced by age. However, age is not the only risk factor there; urinary tract infections are generally the underlying cause with age that leads to urinary incontinence in both men and women. 

Common urinary incontinence symptoms include being unable to hold your urine or losing control of your urinary function when sneezing or coughing. Other symptoms include dribbling urine due to the bladder not emptying completely and having extreme urgency to urinate. The symptoms correlate with urethral strictures up to a certain extent. However, you should know that these are two separate conditions, and while they can seem similar, they are not. Doctors will diagnose and treat these conditions differ based on the underlying causes.

What’s The Connection Between Urethral Stricture & Urinary Incontinence?

Urethral strictures and urinary incontinence are connected in terms of the fact that they can be caused by similar reasons, and they have some similarities in terms of their symptoms. However, it is important to note that the connection between these two conditions is on the surface level at best. The treatment processes differ greatly for these conditions. So, let’s take a look at some of the common connections between these two conditions.

Causes

Both these conditions can be caused by urinary infections, and they can even cause urinary infections as a side effect. If the urinary infection is causing any of these conditions in your body, it needs a dedicated medical diagnosis to understand the cause. However, if urethral strictures or urinary incontinence is causing a urinary infection in your body, it is because of the residual urine in your bladder. This residue is present because the conditions prohibit your bladder from emptying appropriately.

Other common causes of urinary incontinence are obstruction in your urinary tract due to an enlarged prostate, prostate cancer, or just the presence of a tumor in your pelvic region. Urethral strictures, too, can be caused by obstructions to your urinary tract and an enlarged prostate or tumor in your pelvic region. Both these conditions can be caused by other conditions, and as you age, the probability of getting affected by them increases. While these conditions can’t cause each other in theory, there is a very real chance that people with at least one of these conditions will be at a higher risk for the other condition.

Symptoms

The symptoms of these two conditions have some similarities as well because they have similar causes. Here are some of the symptoms these two conditions have in common.

• Difficulty urinating and emptying your bladder
• Having an urgent need to urinate immediately, frequently
• Dribbling urine because you can’t empty your bladder properly
• Increased frequency in urination beyond what’s considered normal medically

These are some of the common symptoms between the two conditions. So, are these two conditions connected? If so what’s the connection? Let’s find out.

Conclusion

Urethral strictures and urinary incontinence are connected on the surface as two conditions that have similar causes and symptoms. These conditions also affect a similar demographic, which is ageing individuals. However, the similarity in causes and symptoms doesn’t make these conditions similar because the treatment differs. 

These conditions are also not correlated, which means they can’t cause each other, but since they affect the same region of the body, one can increase the risk of the other directly or indirectly. With that being said, if you want to learn more about urethral strictures or urinary incontinence, feel free to check out MASSH. We specialise in treating all types of urological conditions and can help you get quick and easy recovery from your symptoms. For more information, check out our website.