Bowel and Bladder Problems
Loss of bladder control due to the brain, spinal cord, or nerve injury is recognized medically as neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. The bladder is a complex network of muscles and nerves that work together to hold urine until it’s time to urinate. Signals are sent back and forth between the brain and the bladder-emptying muscles. Damage to these nerves may cause abnormal muscle contraction and relaxation.
People with neurogenic bladder due to neuropathy have trouble controlling their muscles and nerves. This condition can lead to an overactive bladder syndrome where the bladder’s muscular walls contract too early, empty or full. Neuropathy can also lead to incontinence, where the sphincter muscles become too weak, and urine might leak. Some patients can suffer from both hyperactive and underactive bladders.
On the other hand, loss of bowel function results from injury to the nerves in the gut. The nerve damage in the rectum reduces its ability to process waste and flush it out of the body. If the colon has trouble relaying messages to the brain, bowel problems such as constipation and diarrhea can occur in neuropathic patients. Furthermore, reflex bowel problems due to neuropathy can cause problems in relaxing the anal sphincter and lead to chronic bowel incontinence.
