Urinary incontinence affects people of all ages and backgrounds, but it’s especially common among women. Approximately 50% of adult women and 75% of women 65 years old or older experience urinary incontinence.
This involuntary loss of urine significantly impacts your quality of life. You may find it difficult to exercise, take long car rides, or make it to the bathroom in time, leading to embarrassing accidents.
Dr. W. Cooper Buschemeyer here at Buschemeyer Urology in Conroe, Willis, and The Woodlands, Texas, wants to help you regain control over your bladder. Here’s what he wants you to know about the four primary types of incontinence and the types of treatment he, as a urologist, offers.
Stress incontinence occurs when there's pressure on the bladder, leading to urine leakage. This pressure can be triggered by activities such as:
Even exercising, like jumping rope or dancing, can cause a leakage. In women, weakened pelvic floor muscles, often due to childbirth or hormonal changes, are a common cause. In men, prostate surgery or conditions affecting the prostate can contribute to stress incontinence.
The first step in treating stress incontinence is usually pelvic floor therapy. Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegels, strengthen the muscles that support the bladder and urethra, reducing leakage. In more severe cases, Dr. Buschemeyer may recommend medical devices like urethral inserts or surgery to support the bladder.
Urge incontinence, often referred to as an overactive bladder, involves a sudden, intense urge to urinate, often followed by involuntary leakage. It occurs when your bladder muscle contracts involuntarily, leading to the urgent need to urinate even when your bladder isn’t full.
Neurological conditions, bladder irritants, or infections can contribute to this type of incontinence.
Behavioral therapies such as bladder training, which gradually increases the time between bathroom visits, can help retrain the bladder and reduce urgency. Medications can also relax the bladder muscle, reducing urgency and leakage. In some cases, Dr. Buschemeyer may suggest Botox® injections into the bladder muscle to relax overactive muscles.
Overflow incontinence occurs when the bladder doesn’t empty completely, leading to frequent or constant dribbling of urine. This can happen when you have an underactive bladder, which means the bladder muscles are unable to contract effectively. This condition may also occur when there’s an obstruction in the urinary tract, such as an enlarged prostate in men or pelvic organ prolapse in women.
Addressing the underlying cause is the way to treat overflow incontinence. This may involve treating an enlarged prostate with medication or surgery, addressing constipation, or managing underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or neurological disorders.
Sometimes, if your bladder has trouble emptying by itself, you might need a catheter. This could be either a catheter you put in and take out yourself (intermittent) or one that stays in place (indwelling). A catheter helps make sure your bladder gets emptied when it needs to.
Functional incontinence occurs when physical or cognitive impairments make it difficult for you to reach the bathroom in time. Conditions such as arthritis, dementia, or mobility issues can contribute to functional incontinence.
Management of functional incontinence focuses on addressing the underlying impairments. This may involve physical therapy to improve mobility, cognitive therapy to enhance awareness and communication, or home modifications such as installing handrails or bedside toilets to improve accessibility.
Sometimes, urinary incontinence comes from more than one cause. Mixed incontinence involves a combination of different issues that result in leakage problems. If you have mixed incontinence, you may experience both stress incontinence and an overactive bladder.
Pay attention to your activities when dealing with leakage problems associated with this type of incontinence. Identifying the triggers for mixed incontinence is typically the most effective approach to managing it.
Incontinence is not something to be embarrassed about and just live with. If you’re experiencing incontinence symptoms, don’t hesitate to seek our help at Buschemeyer Urology.
Call today or use the online tool to schedule an appointment.
With the right diagnosis and treatment plan, you can regain control of your bladder and improve your overall quality of life.
