Overview

Urinary Incontinence: You Are Not Alone.

Urinary problems or loss of bladder control is a common and often treatable condition affecting one out of four women in America. The severity of urinary incontinence ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to sudden, unpredictable, strong urinary urgency.

Although urinary incontinence affects millions of people, it isn’t a normal part of aging or, in women, an inevitable consequence of childbirth or changes after menopause. It’s a medical condition with many possible causes, some relatively simple and self-limited and others more complex.

Types of Urinary Incontinence Include:

• Stress incontinence: When pressure on the bladder causes urine to leak out. Symptoms include a urine leak when a woman coughs, sneezes or exercises.
• Urge incontinence: Also referred to as “overactive bladder”. Women with this problem may feel a strong urge to urinate, leading to leakage.
• Overflow incontinence: When a bladder doesn’t empty properly and becomes full, causing leakage. These women feel as if their bladder is never completely empty.
• Mixed incontinence: Occurs when symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence are present.

Read More:

Afraid to Cough or Sneeze? by Michael Fiegen, MD, FACOG

Treatments

Treatment for urinary incontinence depends on the type of incontinence, the severity of your problem and the underlying cause. Your physician can recommend approaches best suited to your condition. Often a combination of treatments is used. Most people treated for urinary incontinence see a dramatic improvement in their symptoms.

Treatment options:

Urodynamic testing

Urodynamics is a study that assesses how the bladder and urethra are performing their job of storing and releasing urine. Urodynamic tests help your physician or nurse see how well your bladder and sphincter muscles work and can help explain symptoms.

Behavioral techniques

Behavioral and lifestyle changes work well for certain types of urinary incontinence and may be the only treatment needed.

• Pelvic floor muscle exercises
• Bladder training
• Scheduled trips to the bathroom
• Fluid and diet management

Medications

• Many times, urinary incontinence can be corrected with the help of medications which are often used in conjunction with behavioral techniques.Antispasmodic drugs
• Antidepressants
• Antibiotics
• Others

Devices

Several medical devices available are designed specifically for women.

• Urethral inserts
• Pessary (Pes-uh-re)

Surgery

• Robotic assisted surgery
• Advanced pelvic surgery

Other Treatment Options

• Electrical stimulation
• Absorbent pads
• Catheters

Providers

	Kevin D. Benson, MD, FACOG
	Ashley B. Briggs, MD
	Shelley J. Cole, MD
	Michael M. Fiegen, MD, FACOG
	Jeanne Hassebroek-Johnson, MD
	Laurie B. Landeen, MD
	Thomas L. Looby, MD
	Dean L. Madison, MD
	Allison Wierda Suttle, MD

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