Urinary Incontinence

What is Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence means loss of bladder control. There are five kinds of urinary incontinence:

• Stress Incontinence: Stress incontinence is urine leakage that occurs when you inadvertently pressure your bladder. If you have stress incontinence, you may have small accidents when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift heavy objects, or exercise strenuously.

• Urge Incontinence: Urge incontinence is a “gotta go now” sensation that leads to accidents before you can get to the bathroom.

• Overflow Incontinence: Overflow incontinence is frequent or even continual urine loss. With this kind of incontinence, you generally lose tiny amounts of urine gradually because you’re unable to totally empty your bladder when you urinate.

• Mixed Incontinence: Mixed incontinence means you have both stress and urge incontinence.

• Functional Incontinence: Functional incontinence is urine loss because of physical or mental barriers, such as disease or medication side effects.

Urinary incontinence affects millions of men and women today, but it’s not a problem you have to live with. Augusta Urology Associates offers effective solutions for men and women of all ages.

What Causes Urinary Incontinence?

You can experience temporary urinary incontinence if you drink a lot of alcohol or caffeinated, carbonated, or artificially sweetened beverages. Chocolate and spicy foods can lead to short-term incontinence too.

Some medications, including drugs for the heart and hypertension, sedatives, and muscle relaxants, can also cause temporary incontinence.

In men, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer treatment may cause urinary incontinence. In women, hormone changes during pregnancy, after menopause, and after hysterectomy can cause urinary incontinence.

Obstructions like kidney stones can cause urinary incontinence in either sex, as can neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis.

Certain risk factors increase your chances of developing urinary incontinence, including being overweight, smoking, diabetes, and a family history of urinary incontinence.

How Do You Diagnose Urinary Incontinence?

Your doctor conducts a physical exam and evaluates your medical history. Usually, you submit a urine sample for urinalysis.

Your urologist may also take a post-void residual urine measurement to check your total output. After your appointment, you may need to maintain a bladder diary that notes your fluid intake and urination patterns.

What is the Treatment for Urinary Incontinence?

Treatment varies by type of incontinence, underlying conditions, and your personal situation. Common treatments include:

• Medication: anticholinergics, Myrbetriq®, or alpha blockers for male overflow incontinence

• Implanted urethral sling for urethral support

• Artificial urinary sphincter for men

• InterStim®: implanted electrical bladder stimulation for women

• Kegel exercises for women

• Behavioral changes like bladder training, double voiding, and scheduled urination

If you are suffering from urinary incontinence, never hesitate to give us a call. We can help find the right solution for your urinary incontinence, regardless of cause.