Incontinence

What is incontinence?

Urinary incontinence (UI) is an uncontrolled leakage of urine. There are different types of urinary incontinence. 

• Stress incontinence 

When you sneeze, cough, laugh or lift heavy objects causes you to leak urine

• Urge Incontinence

Also known as overactive bladder (OAB), where you feel a sudden urge to go. You may have to urinate more than 8 times a day.

• Mixed Incontinence

This is common in women. It is when you have stress incontinence and urge incontinence at the same time.

• Overflow Incontinence

This is caused by an overfilled bladder and is common in men. It is when you are not able to empty your bladder or you may feel that your bladder is empty, so you may leak urine once your bladder gets full. 

• Functional Incontinence

This is when you have a medical condition such as arthritis, it keeps you getting to the bathroom in time.

What are the causes of urinary incontinence?

There are several causes of incontinence some causes include urinary tract infection, pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, prostate problems, smoking, constipation, not being able to move around, weight, hysterectomy, medications, and medical conditions

What are the symptoms if you have urinary incontinence?

The common symptom of urinary incontinence is leakage of urine. Some people experience minor leakage while others experience a moderate amount. 

What can be done?

A combination of lifestyles and drug therapy is often prescribed to help treat incontinence. It is usually suggested to patients to change their lifestyle as the first line of therapy. 

There are certain food and drinks that can cause irritation to your bladders, such as caffeine, high acid food, alcohol, and spicy foods. A patient may need to modify the food intake, lose extra weight, or stop smoking.

Training the Bladder

There are types of incontinence that can be treated with bladder training. Some patients with urge incontinence can learn to prolong the time between urges to use the toilet. This may help to gradually lengthen the time between each urination.

Exercise

There are types of incontinence that can be treated with special exercises, called Kegel exercises. The exercise aims to strengthen the muscles that control the bladder.

 If lifestyle changes and drug therapy are not working, bladder Botox treatment may be offered. The procedure can be performed in the office.  

 Another treatment for people with the problem of communication between the brain and the bladder is nerve stimulation. 

Surgery can be an option to treat urinary incontinence if other measures failed or the case is very serious.  Surgery has many risks, so it is only offered when all the other treatment options failed, or no other option can treat the condition. 

You may find yourself embarrassed about the condition, but it is important to talk to a doctor about this problem. This can be treated.

Dr. Lauren Byrne understands what you are going through. If you are looking for incontinence specialist in Phoenix, Chandler & Gilbert, AZ call us today and schedule an appointment.