It can be inconvenient and embarrassing to live with female incontinence. The issue leads to an overall sense of dissatisfaction and ever-present concern that you might experience a bladder problem at an inopportune moment. At H-MD Medical Spa in Oklahoma City, OK we specialize in treating and reversing female incontinence so you can be free of worry and return to living your best life. Read on to learn more about this problem and the potential solutions available.
What Is Female Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence in women is the unintentional loss of bladder control. This condition is more common in women than in men and can result from many factors. Pregnancy, menopause, and childbirth can be causes, along with overactive or weak bladder muscles or nerve damage.
You’re Not Alone
The good news is that this is a very common and highly treatable condition, and there is no reason you can’t expect to return to a normal life after treatment. Many of the treatments are non-invasive, so if you are suffering from a loss of bladder control you should consult with a specialist as soon as possible.
Don’t Put It Off
We understand that you are a busy individual with personal and professional demands on your time, but it is very important to schedule an appointment regarding the loss of bladder control. This condition falls into the category of health problems that many women put off addressing because of inconvenience or embarrassment. But urinary incontinence can lead to other serious health issues, like an infection. There is also a toll on your overall comfort and self-confidence that comes from feeling you don’t have full control over your body.
What Causes Incontinence?
Your body stores urine in the bladder. The body vacates urine through a tube known as the urethra. You can think of your bladder as an inverted balloon with the opening at the bottom. As you urinate, muscles around the bladder contract, which forces out the liquid. There is also a sphincter muscle around the urethra which your body must relax to open passage. Sudden contractions of your bladder muscles can force liquid through the sphincter. Muscle damage to the sphincter can also result in urine leakage.
What Are the Symptoms?
Women with bladder control issues can experience anything from the release of a few drops of urine to a large stream of urine. Causes include coughing, laughter, running, or any other sharp motion, but it is also possible for it to happen with no discernible stimulus.
Sometimes the loss of control is preceded by a strong urge to urinate. Sexual activity can also provoke bladder control loss. The secondary problems of public embarrassment and emotional distress can be severe, and we recommend early diagnosis and treatment.
How Is the Condition Diagnosed?
Diagnosis usually begins with a physical exam and can include an ultrasound and urodynamic testing. Your specialist will ask you about your medical history and might ask you to monitor your incontinence with a diary.
Diagnosis is usually quite simple and treatments can begin immediately. Loss of bladder control can result from medications, kidney stones, or infection and usually clears up when the primary issue is treated. Obesity can also be a cause of loss of bladder control due to an increase in abdominal pressure.
Who Gets the Condition?
Older women are more likely to manifest the symptoms of bladder control loss, but all women, young and old, are susceptible to developing the issue. The condition is not inevitable, but remaining alert for symptoms is a critical component of any plan for overall health and well-being.
There are many ways to treat the condition, and many of them are non-surgical. People respond to treatments differently, but it’s comforting to know that while you will probably find relief with a non-surgical treatment, effective surgical treatments are also available if necessary.
Different Types of Incontinence
Loss of bladder control may manifest in many ways. The more details you can share with your specialist about when and where the incontinence happens, the better he or she will be able to formulate an effective treatment plan. Keep in mind that your incontinence might be a result of a combination of factors. Below is a brief overview of the types of incontinence that might affect you.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence is bladder leakage that comes as a result of laughing, jumping, coughing, sneezing or other movements that can contract the abdomen and put pressure on the bladder. Stress incontinence is common after pregnancy. Pregnancy can sometimes disrupt the positioning of the bladder, which puts additional pressure on the muscles which hold the urethra shut.
Urge Incontinence
When you feel a sudden urge to urinate followed by involuntary bladder release, you might have urge incontinence. Abnormal bladder contractions are usually to blame for this form of incontinence.
Note that this issue can affect an individual during sleep, which might cause embarrassment that prevents proper treatment. It can also be provoked by touching or even listening to the sound of rushing water. Urge incontinence can be a result of improper or interrupted nerve response.
Overactive Bladder
If your body is sending excessive signals to the bladder, you might find yourself urinating with excessive frequency. An overactive bladder can be highly disruptive and can interrupt your sleep patterns by waking you up multiple times at night.
Other Forms of Incontinence
Sometimes your incontinence is caused by a variety of factors and may share the symptoms of several forms of incontinence. Transient incontinence is temporary incontinence caused by medications, infections, or other factors. Even a bad cold with disruptive coughing spells can result in momentary incontinence.
How Can Female Incontinence Be Reversed?
Your specialist will diagnose the cause of your loss of bladder control and create a treatment plan uniquely suited to fit you. The nature of the leakage will assist the specialist in identifying the underlying cause. Urine and blood samples can also be helpful.
The treatment will depend on the type of incontinence you are experiencing. Treatments are highly effective at reversing the effects of this common ailment. Some possible treatments your specialist might recommend for you include:
Weight Loss
Loss of bladder control that comes as a result of obesity can be effectively treated through weight loss. Stomach and abdominal weight that applies pressure to the bladder can cause additional stress to the sphincter. Eliminating this additional stress can reduce or eliminate unwanted leakage.
Exercises to Strengthen Muscles
One of the easiest ways to treat loss of bladder control is through targeted muscle strengthening. Kegel exercises consist of identifying the muscles used to control urination and then contracting and releasing them in accordance with a medically prescribed plan.
To identify the muscle group, begin urinating and then stop the flow. This will help you determine which muscles you have to clench for your Kegel exercises. The exercise routine will entail tightening those muscles and holding them for three to five seconds. Your specialist will tell you how many repetitions and sets to perform.
In some cases, your specialist might recommend transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). This treatment stimulates the targeted muscle groups with small, painless electronic pulses. Your specialist might also use biofeedback to monitor and get a better understanding of the cause of the issue.
Medication
Sometimes loss of bladder control is a side-effect of other medications you are taking. In these cases, the issue should resolve itself once you complete the regimen. You should always consult a doctor if you experience any adverse effects to medication.
Another line of medications exists to combat bladder leakage directly. Some pharmaceuticals stabilize muscle contractions while others relax muscles to allow for a more complete emptying under controlled conditions. Hormone replacement may also be a way to treat the issue.
Vaginal Rejuvenation
Specialists recommend vaginal rejuvenation for women who are experiencing a loss of bladder control along with vaginal dryness, laxity, and other forms of discomfort. The treatment helps tighten vaginal walls and provides a variety of benefits. Vaginal rejuvenation can stop urinary incontinence and can also improve sexual satisfaction and increase vaginal lubrication. Vaginal rejuvenation is a great way to solve your incontinence problem and restore your self-confidence and overall satisfaction with life.
Vaginal rejuvenation is a very popular treatment with benefits that go beyond curing incontinence. To find out if you are a good candidate for vaginal rejuvenation, schedule a consultation with a specialist. The professional staff is there to assist you with your questions and concerns.
Surgical Treatments
There are several forms of surgical treatments to help restore bladder control. Injecting collagen or other pharmaceutical substances may be used to bulk up the area around the urethra. This size enhancement serves to compress the urethra near the bladder and helps restore control. A pessary is a prosthetic device that might be inserted to help support the bladder and reduce leakage.
Sometimes, incontinence can be a result of the bladder sagging into the vagina. In this case, normal function can be restored by suturing the bladder to a more well-supported position. A pubo-vaginal sling might also be used to provide bladder support. Artificial sphincters or indwelling catheterization are other surgical options that can be beneficial in some cases.
Finding the Right Treatment for You
In this article, we are providing only a very brief overview of all the treatments that are available. We hope this introduction provides encouragement and underscores how common and treatable bladder control issues are. Your treatment will depend on your personal situation as determined through a consultation with your specialist.
Bladder control issues have a number of causes, but they all have solutions. Rest assured that your specialist will discover an effective treatment that will resolve your bladder control issue and help restore your self-confidence and life satisfaction. Don’t ever believe that your issue isn’t serious enough to warrant attention or that you can learn to live with the problem. We always recommend finding a long term treatment rather that will allow you to live your fullest life.
Reverse Your Female Incontinence Today
The most important thing to know about female loss of bladder control is that it is very common and highly treatable. Please do not let embarrassment prevent you from consulting with a specialist to find an effective treatment plan suited to your symptoms, preferences, and lifestyle.
Schedule a consultation with the specialists at H-MD Medical Spa in Oklahoma, OK today. Their friendly staff will diagnose your symptoms and provide you with a custom treatment plan specifically tailored to your needs. A loss of bladder control can be extremely disruptive to your ability to live life to its fullest potential. If you are experiencing unwanted bladder leakage, don’t wait, schedule an appointment and make your first steps on the road to normal bladder function today.