When you are not able to fully control your bladder, you might find you experiencing slight leakage from time to time. In more severe cases, you might have a total loss of bladder control. These symptoms are linked to urinary incontinence, which can affect your quality of life. At First Class OBGYN, Dr. Anghel provides diagnostic services and treatment for women who have urinary incontinence.
That depends on what type of urinary incontinence you have. If you have urge incontinence, you might have sudden urges to urinate, which can cause mild to serious leakage. Urge incontinence tends to be worse at night, so you might end up having leakage while you’re asleep. If you have stress incontinence, you might have leakage when you sneeze, cough, or laugh. Doing exercises or lifting objects can also cause leakage.
Urge incontinence occurs when your bladder tightens or contracts involuntarily. Stress incontinence occurs when urine leaks from your bladder uncontrollably when you put pressure on it. This happens when you have weak muscles surrounding your urethra. You can develop urge or stress incontinence as part of the aging process. You might have a higher risk of it if you’re obese or take certain medications. Other risk factors include having diabetes, a neurological condition, or a spinal injury. Dr. Anghel determines what’s causing urinary incontinence during your exam.
Dr. Anghel conducts a physical exam and uses tests to diagnose the cause of your urinary incontinence. These tests might include:
Dr. Anghel typically recommends starting with nonsurgical forms of treatment. These might include training your bladder, so you have more control over it, pelvic floor exercises, and/or medication. Other treatments Dr. Anghel might recommend include electrical stimulation, injections, and medical devices. Surgical options are a last resort but may include an InterStim® device for electrical stimulation or a sling procedure to provide your urethra with extra support.
If you have symptoms of urinary incontinence, please contact First Class OB/GYN to schedule an appointment.