Abstract
Summary: Urinary incontinence is a widespread symptom that affects tens of millions of people worldwide and has a far-reaching economic and social impact on society as a whole. It is defined as an unwanted leakage of urine causing a hygienic or social problem.
The inability to retain urine contributes significantly to a reduction in quality of life. According to typical clinical manifestations, we divide incontinence into stress, urgent, reflex and paradoxical.
The basic diagnostic step is a carefully taken medical history by a knowledgeable doctor. In the case of stress incontinence, the most successful treatment modality is surgical correction (mini-invasive tape surgery or colposuspension according to Burch).
Urgent incontinence is most often treated with parasympatholytics, the use of which may be limited by unpleasant side effects such as mucosal dryness, accommodation disorders or constipation. The goal of urinary incontinence therapy is to eliminate subjective difficulties or at least improve the quality of life in those cases where a complete cure is not possible.
In particular, GPs and gynecologists should actively ask their patients about the presence of possible urinary incontinence, know the basic diagnostic steps and know where to send a patient with these problems, as urinary incontinence cannot be considered a normal part of today's woman's life.