A Urologist Explains The Most Effective Treatment Options For Incontinence.
If you leak urine or find yourself running to the restroom frequently, you’re not alone. Nearly half of women experience stress urinary incontinence, in which urine leaks after you cough, sneeze or laugh. About 17 percent of women struggle with overactive bladder, in which you feel a sudden, strong need to urinate. About 9 percent of women suffer from urge urinary incontinence, in which a person experiences a sudden need to urinate and loses urine. Fortunately, there’s no need to live with these problems, which can have a significant impact on your quality of life, according to Mary McHugh, DO, a board- certified urologist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset and RWJBarnabas Health medical group. Here, she explains the most effective treatments.
What causes urinary incontinence?
Stress urinary incontinence develops when pelvic floor muscles, which control the ability to hold urine, are weak. The condition, which is more common in women, can be caused by pregnancy and childbirth, chronic coughing, smoking and being overweight. Overactive bladder, which occurs when nerve signals between the bladder and brain don’t function properly, may be caused by neurologic disorders, hormone changes, urinary tract infection or medication side effects. Urge urinary incontinence is linked to bladder irritants, such as caffeine and acidic or spicy foods. Other possible causes include uncontrolled diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
Why might some women not seek treatment for these conditions?
Some women may think these conditions are permanent and nothing can be done to help them, which is not the case. Others may not know what kind of doctor can help them or may feel too embarrassed to seek treatment.
What might women with these conditions be surprised to learn about their treatment options?
Not all types of urinary conditions require surgery. In patients with urge urinary incontinence, we can evaluate lifestyle habits using a bladder diary, which tracks fluid intake, urinary frequency and leakage. Medications and therapies can ease overactive bladder symptoms. If medications are not helpful for this condition, Botox can be injected to relax the bladder muscle or nerve stimulation devices can be used to deliver electrical pulses to calm bladder nerves. For stress urinary incontinence, physical therapy can strengthen pelvic floor muscles.
When is surgery the best option?
When conservative measures fail to control stress urinary incontinence in women, we can perform surgery to place a sling. The healing of the tissues around the sling helps with stress incontinence. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of surgery.
To find a physician, visit www.rwjbh.org/somerset.