Stress and Urge Incontinence: Which Do I Have?
Millions of Americans struggle with urinary incontinence. This bladder problem can have more than one cause. Stress and urge incontinence are common types, but how do you know which one you have?
Female Urinary Incontinence: It’s More Common Than You Think
It happened again. You sneezed or had a good chuckle and momentarily lost control of your bladder. It’s inconvenient and embarrassing, but don’t despair -- you have options. Once you learn the facts about female urinary incontinence (UI), you’ll be on the road to fewer leaks and more confidence.
Female UI is more common than you think. Fortunately, southern Florida has a power urology team in Dr. Craig Herman and Dr. Steven C. Kester of the Urology Center of Florida. Their personalized treatment, combined with great expertise, means that you can get back to doing the activities you love without worrying about an accident.
An important thing to remember about UI is that it’s really a symptom, as opposed to a health diagnosis. UI accompanies health conditions and can manifest in several ways. For example, stress incontinence happens occasionally, like when you lose a little urine while coughing.
On the other hand, UI becomes more significant if you can’t control emptying your entire bladder. Your need to urinate might be sudden and very urgent, and your physical mobility may prevent you from reaching the bathroom in time.
Is all female urinary incontinence the same?
Definitely not. The two major types of urinary incontinence are temporary and persistent. If you ingest certain foods, drinks, or medications, they can have a diuretic effect, meaning you produce more urine. This leads to having the urge “to go” more.
WIth persistent UI, the symptoms are longer lasting and occur in conjunction with a weakening of your pelvic floor.
What are the risk factors and causes of female urinary incontinence?
Being a woman is a no-brainer, as we’re talking about female UI after all. Other risk factors include advancing age, being overweight, heredity, and smoking habits. Your odds also go up if you have other health conditions, such as diabetes or a neurological condition.
Some of the things that provoke temporary female UI include:
- Caffeine
- Carbonated sodas and bubbly water
- Alcohol
- Acidic, sugary, and spicy foods, including citrus fruit, chili peppers, and chocolate
- Sedatives, muscle relaxants, blood pressure medications, and heart medications
Constipation is associated with temporary UI. Urinary tract infections (UTI), which affect more women than men, are also linked to it.
Persistent female UI is associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and hysterectomy. Each of these affects the strength of your pelvic floor, and pelvic floor weakness is a cause of UI. The hormonal shifts and weight gain that accompany pregnancy also contribute to persistent UI.
Finally, physiological changes that happen as you age contribute to it, as does menopause.
How can Dr. Herman and Dr. Kester help me with female urinary incontinence?
Whether you work with Dr. Herman or Dr. Kester, they will meet you where you are and encourage you to move past the shame that surrounds female UI. Then, they’ll get to the business of treating you by determining the type of UI you have as well as treatment options.
Our team has a diverse array of treatment options at their disposal, from simple changes in diet and proven medications to physical therapy regimens that strengthen the pelvic floor muscle and surgical options, if necessary.
One form of physical therapy we employ is called Imagine. With the help of this advanced technology, we locate and exercise specific pelvic muscles so you’re able to not only hold more urine comfortably in your bladder, but also have more control over urination overall.
Don’t wait to treat female urinary incontinence
You shouldn’t have to go one more day living with the uncertainty and discomfort of female UI. Dr. Herman, Dr. Kester, and our team in Pompano Beach, Florida, welcome your questions so we can help you figure out the next steps in finding the right UI solution.
Call us or book an online appointment so you can be on your way to less stress and, most importantly, more time outside the bathroom doing all the things you love.
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