Urinary Incontinence

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence describes the loss of bladder control that causes you to leak urine unexpectedly. There are two types of urinary incontinence The Women's Center team diagnoses and treats: stress incontinence and urge incontinence.

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence causes urine leaks when you put pressure on your bladder by sneezing, coughing, or laughing.

Urge incontinence

Urge incontinence is a sudden, intense urge to empty your bladder. This sudden urgency makes it difficult for you to reach the bathroom in time before urine begins leaking.

You may be prone to developing urinary incontinence after childbirth, or a surgery involving your reproductive organs causes weakness in the muscles that support your bladder. Your risk for urinary incontinence increases if you’re overweight or you experience frequent constipation that puts pressure on your bladder and weakens it.

Women may also experience urinary incontinence as they get older, especially when they transition to menopause, due to the loss of estrogen.

How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?

To determine the type of urinary incontinence you have and its underlying cause, The Women's Center team offers on-site diagnostic testing and takes time to review your medical history and your symptoms.

You may need a urine test to check for a urinary tract infection or another issue that can cause urine leaks. Your provider may also request an ultrasound to get a closer look at your bladder and other parts of your urinary tract.

A cystoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a long, thin tube with an attached camera to look at your bladder and urinary tract. This test can identify damaged tissue or blockages that contribute to urine leaks.

How is urinary incontinence treated?

The providers at The Women's Center create a treatment plan to meet your needs. They may initially recommend bladder training and pelvic exercises to strengthen your muscles and help you prevent urine leaks. You may also need to modify your bathroom schedule to empty your bladder more frequently.

Medications are available to calm an overactive bladder and relax the bladder muscles. In some cases, low-dose estrogen therapy is beneficial for women in menopause. Supplemental estrogen can rebalance estrogen levels and rejuvenate your vaginal tissue to better support your bladder.

For serious urine leaks, you may need surgery to build a better support system for your bladder. To treat stress incontinence, your provider may use tissue from another area of your body or synthetic materials to create a sling to hold your urethra closed.

Don’t be embarrassed to discuss unexpected urine leaks. You can request an appointment with the team at The Women’s Center, PC, online or call the office nearest you today.