What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is a common condition that describes the involuntary loss of bladder control. These symptoms can vary from occasional urine leaks when you sneeze to an urgent need to urinate and being unable to reach the bathroom in time.
When left untreated, urinary incontinence can impact your daily life and prevent you from enjoying activities you love. There are different forms of incontinence that often respond positively to medical treatment.
What are the different kinds of incontinence?
There are several types of urinary incontinence, including:
- Stress incontinence: leaking urine because of bladder pressure from actions like laughing, sneezing, or coughing
- Urge incontinence: an intense and sudden urge to urinate with involuntary urine loss
- Overflow incontinence: a frequent or constant loss of urine because your bladder doesn’t empty completely
It’s also possible to experience several types of incontinence at one time.
What causes incontinence?
Incontinence is a symptom, not a disease. It can have a variety of causes triggered by either physical or medical conditions, and even everyday habits.
Common causes of urinary incontinence include:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Constipation
- Urinary stones or other obstructions in your urinary tract
- Enlarged prostate
- Prostate cancer
- Hysterectomy or menopause
- Pregnancy and childbirth
You can also experience temporary urinary incontinence from certain foods, medications, and beverages such as caffeine, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners.
Your risk of developing urinary incontinence increases if you’re a woman, overweight, or have a family history of the condition. It’s also more common to experience incontinence symptoms as you grow older and your bladder and urethra muscles lose strength.
How is incontinence diagnosed and treated?
The Valley Urology Center team diagnoses the cause of your urinary incontinence by conducting a comprehensive physical exam, discussing your symptoms, and reviewing your medical history.
Based on your exam and symptoms, they might also suggest:
- Urine analysis to look for signs of infection or other irregularities
- Keeping a bladder diary to monitor your fluid intake and urination
- Post residual void (PVR) measurement to track your urine output
Depending on the cause of your urinary incontinence, your urologist might recommend a variety of treatments that may include behavioral techniques to better control your bladder, pelvic floor muscle exercises to strengthen your urinary control muscles, or electrical stimulation to stimulate and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
They might also suggest medications, medical devices, or other therapies like surgery.
Call Valley Urology Center or schedule an appointment online today for more information if you’re suffering from urinary incontinence.
