Finding solutions to urinary incontinence can improve your quality of life substantially.
Bladder control issues are also referred to as incontinence, and they affect women of all ages. The severity can range from person to person involving small and minimal leakage to having strong and sudden urges to urinate that result in bathroom accidents. Bladder control problems can have a severe impact on daily life and can affect day to day activities.
Symptoms of Incontinence
There are many different symptoms of incontinence which include stress incontinence. This involves stressful situations that have compromised the sphincter muscle such as childbirth, menopause, or pregnancy. With this type of incontinence, sneezing, laughing or coughing can cause accidents to occur.
Overflow incontinence is an inability to completely empty the bladder which results in a constant dribble of urine. Overflow incontinence happens to people who have a damaged bladder, a spinal cord injury, a damaged or blocked urethra, or damage from diabetes.
Diagnosing Incontinence
Before starting treatment, it is important to accurately diagnose incontinence. There are different ways to go about diagnosing incontinence including a urinalysis to check the urine for signs of infection, traces of blood, or other irregular symptoms. A blood test may be in order to check for chemicals or other substances that could be present with incontinence. A bladder diary may also be suggested to track how much liquids are consumed in relation to the frequency of urination.
A Combination of Treatments May Be Helpful
To remedy incontinence, the doctor may take on a multifaceted approach. Often a combination of treatments proves to be more effective than just one treatment alone. Some of the treatment methods suggested include medications to calm the bladder muscles that may be overactive, pelvic floor muscle exercises such as Kegel exercises, or medical devices such as a urethral insert.
At Metropolitan Family Planning Clinic, we have assisted many women experiencing urinary incontinence. Make an appointment for a consultation by calling us at (407) 303-4573 today.