What is incontinence?
Incontinence refers to an involuntary loss of bladder control. This can range from leaking a small amount of urine to completely emptying your bladder by accident. The team at Bela Vida Urogynecology treats all types of incontinence, including the two most common among women:
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is the most common type. This type of incontinence causes urine to leak when you put pressure on your bladder, like while coughing, sneezing, laughing, or during physical activities, such as exercise and heavy lifting.
Urge incontinence
Sometimes called an overactive bladder, urge incontinence causes a sudden, intense need to urinate. You may accidentally leak urine if you can’t make it to the bathroom in time.
Who does incontinence affect?
Both men and women experience urinary incontinence, but this condition is about twice as common in women. Women of all ages can develop urinary incontinence, but your risk increases as you grow older. Younger women are more likely to have stress incontinence than overactive bladder.
What causes incontinence?
There are many possible causes of temporary urinary incontinence, like drinking too many caffeinated beverages or having a bladder infection. Persistence bothersome incontinence usually happens when there’s a problem with the muscles and nerves that help your bladder hold or release urine.
Urinary incontinence is more common among women because certain events or changes in a woman’s life, like pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, can damage or weaken these nerves and muscles.
How is incontinence diagnosed and treated?
Urinary incontinence is a common problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s a normal part of being a woman. The expert team at Bela Vida Urogynecology accurately diagnoses the underlying cause of your incontinence and develops a personalized treatment plan that’s best for you.
They begin with a thorough physical exam and review of your medical history. They may also take tests, like urinalysis or an ultrasound.
Treatment depends on your specific condition, but may include:
- Lifestyle and behavior techniques like pelvic floor exercises
- Vaginal devices like a pessary
- Pelvic floor physical therapy or biofeedback
- InterStim electrical stimulation
- Procedures like neurotoxin injection into the bladder wall to reduce bladder hyperactivity
- Medications
- Surgery
For effective treatment of incontinence from an all-female team of doctors, call Bela Vida Urogynecology or book an appointment online today.