Urinary Incontinence Specialist

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is unintentional urine leakage. It can range from an occasional leakage of a few tiny drops of urine to complete urination. The primary types of urinary incontinence include:

Stress urinary incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence is urine leakage that happens during bladder pressure. For example, leaks commonly occur when coughing, sneezing, or laughing hard. Exercise can also put pressure on the bladder and lead to urine leakage.

Urgent urinary incontinence

Urgent urinary incontinence is an abrupt powerful need to urinate. The urge is so strong that it's common to leak some urine before you can reach the toilet. 

Mixed urinary incontinence

Mixed urinary incontinence includes both stress and urgency urinary incontinence symptoms. 

Incontinence always involves urine leakage, but its causes and how it happens can differ from person to person. 

Urinary incontinence may occur alongside other issues; for example, you may wake up frequently during the night to urinate (nocturia) or could leak urine overnight. Some people also experience painful urination (dysuria) along with urinary incontinence. 

What causes urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence has many causes, including:

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Diuretic medications
• Diuretic substances like caffeine and alcohol
• Pelvic floor disorders like pelvic organ prolapse
• Long-term constipation
• Neuromuscular dysfunction
• Bladder stones or other anatomical disruptions

Urinary incontinence is more common in women and occurs most frequently after menopause, so experts believe that hormone changes could play a role. Lower estrogen levels may cause urethra weakening, which means it's harder to control urination as you age.

How is urinary incontinence treated?

The Women's Health Specialists, PLLC, team usually recommends lifestyle changes and noninvasive treatments to start. These can include bladder training exercises, physical therapy to strengthen your pelvic floor, and bladder support devices that you insert in your vagina. 

Many oral medications can help with urgency urinary incontinence, but at this time, there are no FDA-approved drugs for stress urinary incontinence. 

A couple of different surgeries can help with stress urinary incontinence symptoms, including bladder sling surgery to support your urethra and colposuspension to lift the urethra and secure it in place surgically. 

If surgery isn't right for you, urethral bulking — an injection treatment to thicken tissue around the urethral opening — may help with stress urinary incontinence. 

Women's Health Specialists, PLLC, team can help you live confidently, without fear of urine leaks. Call the office or book your appointment online today.