What is urinary incontinence?
The loss of bladder control resulting from urinary incontinence causes issues that range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. Urinary incontinence affects twice as many women as men and becomes more common as you get older. The different types of incontinence include:
Stress
You leak urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or heavy lifting exerts pressure on your bladder.
Urge
Urge incontinence results from other medical conditions, including infections, neurologic disorders or diabetes. Urge incontinence causes you to have a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine, as well as the need to urinate often, including throughout the night.
Overflow
Your bladder doesn’t empty completely, causing you to experience frequent or constant dribbling of urine.
Functional
Severe arthritis or another physical or mental impairment prevents you from making it to the bathroom in time.
Mixed
Your doctor at My OB/GYN Specialists diagnoses you with more than one type of urinary incontinence.
How is incontinence diagnosed?
The doctors at My OB/GYN Specialists use urodynamic testing to diagnose incontinence. The different types of urodynamic testing are:
- Uroflowmetry: measures the speed and volume of urine
- Postvoid residual measurement: measures the amount of urine left in your bladder after you go
- Cytometric test: monitors the pressure build-up in your bladder as it fills with urine, the amount of urine your bladder holds, and when you feel the urge to urinate
- Leak point pressure measurement: used during a cytometric test to measure the pressure at your leakage point
- Pressure flow study: measures the pressure your bladder needs to urinate and the flow rate specific pressure generates.
- Electromyography: sensors that measure the electrical activity of the muscles and nerves in and around your bladder and sphincters during cystometric testing
- Video urodynamic tests: combine cystometry, uroflowmetry, and cystography into a single exam using X-rays or ultrasound.
How is incontinence treated?
The doctors at My OB/GYN Specialists treat incontinence in several ways, including:
Pelvic floor rehabilitation and therapy
Pelvic floor rehabilitation and therapy can help improve the strength and function of the muscles that support the bladder, urethra and other organs within the pelvis. Pelvic floor therapy techniques can help relax and lengthen tight muscles and release trigger points to help incontinence patients, who mainly need to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
Also known as Kegel exercises, pelvic floor rehabilitation helps to strengthen the muscles that control urination.
MonaLisa Touch®
A special laser that delivers controlled energy to your vaginal tissue, revitalizing your cells, enabling them to make more collagen.
For help with your incontinence issues, call or make an appointment online today with one of the doctors at My OB/GYN Specialists in Miami.
