It's well-known that Botox injections can make you look younger, but did you know that they can also be used to treat incontinence?

Thanks to recent advances in medical technology, the role of Botox has been redefined in the arena of urology. It can now be used to treat urinary incontinence resulting from an overactive bladder.

In cases where medication has failed to inhibit the condition, Botox has proven to be highly effective with minimal complications. In a Swiss study, patients reported better bladder control after receiving a few Botox injections into their bladder muscles over the period of a year.

Urinary incontinence, which is the inability to hold urine in the bladder, ranges from mild leakage to uncontrollable wetting. Both men and women can suffer from the condition but women are twice as likely to suffer due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract.

It is more common among older people and it affects at least one in 10 people aged 65 and over, according to the U.S. National Institute of Aging.

Incontinence can be an embarrassing condition and if left untreated, can cause rashes and skin infections, as well as anxiety and depression. Coming to terms with the condition and understanding it fully can put an end to shame and let you enjoy life once again.

Many causes of urinary incontinence are temporary. These include a urinary tract infection, vaginal infection, constipation and side effects of certain medications. Other causes, according to the Health A to Z website, include too much caffeine and bladder-stimulating foods and beverages such as milk or milk products, sugar, chocolate, tomatoes, spices, citrus fruits and juices, and carbonated drinks.

Urinary incontinence can also be caused by medical conditions such as weakness of the pelvic muscles, bladder or urethral sphincter muscles (the group of muscles that tightens to hold urine in and loosens to let it out), an overactive bladder, and blocked urethra from prostate enlargement in men, hormone deficiency in women, neurological disorders, restricted mobility stroke, multiple sclerosis and dementia.

There are many forms of urinary incontinence. However, the most common ones are:

- Stress Incontinence: Urine leaks when you cough, laugh, sneeze, lift things or run. This form of incontinence is set off by increased abdominal pressure during such activities and is more common among women.

- Urge Incontinence: An overpowering urge to urinate and urine may leak, even though only a small amount of liquid has been consumed. Visits to the toilet may become more frequent.

- Overflow Incontinence: Bladder always seems to be full and small amounts of urine often leak. You may feel as though you're never able to empty your bladder completely or feel the need to empty your bladder but simply cannot do it. It's often reported in men with enlarged prostate glands and diabetes.

- Functional Incontinence: Occurs in people with normal bladder control but who are unable to get to the toilet in time due to dementia, depression and environmental factors.

- Mixed Incontinence: A combination of stress and urges incontinence. Up to 50 percent of women who suffer from stress incontinence, also reported symptoms of urge incontinence.

If you face any of these problems, seek medical help. Your doctor will refer to your medical history and may ask you to keep a record of your urinary habits.

Apart from Botox, urinary incontinence can be treated in one or more of these ways:

- Behavioral techniques: These techniques teach you how to control your bladder and sphincter muscles. Bladder training, for example, helps you learn to control the urge to urinate and to gradually increase the intervals between visits to the toilet.

- Pelvic muscle rehabilitation: Exercises (like Kegel exercises) help to strengthen weak muscles that are supposed to support the bladder. Other treatments to take note of are biofeedback and pelvic floor exercise stimulation.

- Medication: Antibiotics, hormone-replacement therapy and drug prescriptions for bladder or sphincter control can be used to treat urinary infections, replace hormones, stop abnormal bladder muscle contractions or tighten sphincter muscles respectively, according to AHCPR.

- Surgery: It's a last resort when all other treatments have failed. The type of surgery needed will depend on the form and cause of your urinary incontinence. Surgery is advisable for women suffering from severe stress incontinence. There is now a minimally invasive procedure that uses the TVT (tension-free tape) to restore the bladder to its original position. For men with enlarged prostate, an endoscopic surgery known as TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) has replaced open surgery to remove blockage in the bladder. Those who have small, contracted bladder can undergo a surgery to enlarge the bladder and enable it to hold more urine.

- Other measures: There are products on the market -- like special sanitary pads and catheters that can be used to manage urinary continence.

Here are some ways to keep urinary incontinence at bay:

- Don't strain to empty your bladder or bowel.

- Keep your bowel movements regular, and do not ignore the urge to empty your bowels.

- Seek medical help if there's a persistent leakage of urine, if it feels painful to urinate or if you spot any blood in your urine.

- Last but not least, the best form of prevention is, as always, to lead a healthy life with plenty of exercise and to avoid becoming overweight.

Articles in this column, which will appear every two weeks, are provided by a panel of health professionals from www.flyfreeforhealth.com, a leading multimedia medical tourism platform dedicated to providing travel and lifestyle incentives for those adopting a healthy lifestyle. Email us at info@flyfreeforhealth.com

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