Are spinal cord injuries and incontinence related?

There are a host of effects that can occur when your spinal cord is injured. Some people might not realize the full extent of the damage that can be done or the severity of the effects that occur. One of the effects that can occur in injuries involves bladder control. In fact, urinary incontinence was ranked as the second most troublesome issue in a survey done on paralyzed veterans who were wheelchair bound.

On behalf of Joseph Caprara of CBLAW posted in Spinal Cord Injuries on Friday, February 12, 2016.

There are a host of effects that can occur when your spinal cord is injured. Some people might not realize the full extent of the damage that can be done or the severity of the effects that occur. One of the effects that can occur involves bladder control. In fact, urinary incontinence was ranked as the second most troublesome issue in a survey done on paralyzed veterans who were wheelchair bound.

Why is the bladder affected by a spinal cord injury?

The bladder communicates with the brain via the spinal cord. When the spinal cord is injured, these messages can be disrupted. Normally, the bladder sends messages to the stretch receptors and urinary sphincter when the bladder begins to fill. This sends the messages to the brain that the bladder needs to be emptied. When the brain signals the bladder to release, the person can urinate.

What issues can spinal cord injuries cause with the bladder?

When the spinal cord injury affects the bladder, there are two issues that can occur. The first is that the bladder might not receive the signal that it is time to urinate. That means that the bladder will retain urine, which might necessitate catheterization. Another issue that can occur is that the bladder sphincter doesn’t get the signal to remain closed. In that case, urine leakage is possible. That can necessitate the need for incontinence products or other management options.

Bladder management is a delicate issue to address. Urinating when it isn’t appropriate can cause social problems. Urinating infrequently might lead to urinary tract infections. It is critical that you work with a doctor to determine appropriate management options after a spinal cord injury. Because the process can be lengthy and necessary devices can be costly, people who suffered a spinal cord injury because of an accident might opt to pursue compensation from the party that caused the accident.