What causes urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence may be a temporary problem that develops when you have a urinary tract infection or an irritated bladder due to something you ate or drank.
Ongoing involuntary urine leakage is caused by an underlying problem, such as a bladder that can’t hold as much urine, hormone changes that cause tissue atrophy in the urinary tract, and problems with nerve signals that control the bladder.
In many cases, incontinence occurs when the pelvic floor muscles weaken. These muscles support your bladder and help control urination, so when they lose tone, you begin to leak urine.
What are the different types of urinary incontinence?
The three primary types of incontinence are:
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence causes urine leakage when pressure is placed on your bladder. Laughing, coughing, sneezing, and exercising can all put just enough pressure on your abdomen to cause loss of urine. This is the most common type of incontinence in women younger than 65 years.
Urge incontinence
With this type of incontinence, you suddenly feel a strong urge to urinate. The need is so urgent, that you involuntarily leak urine or can’t make it to the bathroom.
Mixed incontinence
More common in women over the age of 65 years, mixed incontinence occurs when you have both stress and urge incontinence.
How is urinary incontinence treated?
Your doctor at North County Women’s Specialists may perform a urodynamic study, which includes a series of tests that measure the flow of urine, bladder function, and pressure in the bladder.
With the detailed information from urodynamic tests, your doctor can customize your incontinence treatment to target the underlying cause. Your treatment plan may include:
- Bladder training to control urination
- Pelvic floor exercises to strengthen muscles
- Medications to relax bladder muscles
- Collagen injections to partially block urine flow
- Urethral insert to block urine leakage
- Minimally invasive surgery to repair muscles
The doctors at North County Women’s Specialists may also recommend:
InTone®
Treats stress, urge, and mixed incontinence by combining exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles with gentle stimulation that calms muscles lining the bladder. You use this device at home following a guided 12-minute session.
InterStim®
InterStim is a device that treats urge incontinence. After your doctor implants the device, it sends mild electrical impulses to the nerve that controls your bladder, helping to normalize the nerve signals that produce an overactive bladder.
If you suffer from any degree of incontinence, whether it’s an occasional small leak or full loss of bladder control, call North County Women’s Specialists or book an appointment online.
