My Urinary Incontinence Is an Issue: What Can I Do?

Losing voluntary control of your bladder happens to virtually everyone at some point in their lives. Women who have given birth or are past menopause may notice more frequent incidents because of the changes their bodies have undergone. 

There are several types of incontinence and a related condition called overactive bladder (OAB) that may be a problem even if it doesn’t reach the point of lost bladder control. 

Our team at Southeast Urogyn specializes in the treatment of urinary incontinence and OAB, so contact us when these problems interfere with your daily life. 

The types of incontinence

You’ll know functional incontinence when circumstances keep you from finding a washroom in time, even if you have no other bladder problems. For most, it’s simply a matter of the wrong place and time. 

People with mobility issues may encounter this more often. But it’s not usually the cause of problems for most women who experience incontinence. 

The three types that are more likely to cause ongoing problems are: 

• Stress incontinence, which occurs when a condition like a laugh, cough, or sneeze creates a urinary urge that you’re unable to hold back
• Urge incontinence, which features a strong and sudden urge followed by loss of bladder control
• Overflow incontinence, which emerges when you have constant or frequent leakage due to incomplete bladder drainage

It’s possible that you may have mixed incontinence with more than one active type contributing to the loss of bladder control. 

OAB also features symptoms including intense and sudden urges to urinate that cause urge incontinence when leakage occurs. 

What can I do about urinary incontinence?

As with many medical conditions, first-level treatment of urinary incontinence is usually conservative. Small lifestyle changes may alter the impact of your condition, such as reducing the amounts of alcohol and caffeine you consume. 

Scheduled bathroom breaks and double voiding can help with all types of incontinence. Pelvic floor exercises often improve control over stress incontinence.

When the underlying cause of your incontinence is known, treatment may focus on that condition. Diabetics, for example, may have urge incontinence as a symptom of high blood sugar. Controlling glucose levels can cause the incontinence condition to stop. 

Beyond lifestyle measures, medications including hormone replacement therapy can reduce incontinence symptoms. Medical devices including pessaries and urethral inserts can help too. 

When conservative methods don’t provide the relief you need, we at Southeast Urogyn offer a wide range of same-day procedures to address a variety of incontinence situations. These include slings and other procedures to add support for the bladder and urethra. 

Urge incontinence and OAB have dedicated treatments including:

• Axonics® neuromodulation therapy
• Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation
• Botox® for OAB
• Bulkamid, a urethral bulking injection that restores proper urethral function
• Medications that target OAB

Many of the surgical procedures used to fight urinary incontinence are minimally invasive for effective relief with short recovery times. 

Your answer to incontinence starts with a consultation at Southeast Urogyn in Flowood or Madison, Mississippi. Contact our nearest office by phone or request an appointment time online. There’s no need to suffer the inconvenience or isolation that urinary incontinence can cause. Book your session now.