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?
What Causes Urinary Incontinence?
When we eat or drink, a tremendous amount of work is going on inside our bodies to do many things, including making sure we process nutrients to fuel us and to remove waste and toxins we don’t need. Our urinary system is a vital filtration system that holds and eliminates this waste in the form of urine and helps keep our bodies working properly.
Conditions like urinary incontinence upset the balance in your urinary tract and make it harder for you to control your urine. There are several reasons you may have this condition, but whatever the reason, treatment is available. Let’s discover more about how your urinary system works, how incontinence can affect it, and how it can be treated.
Patients of the Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Greater South Florida areas struggling with incontinence or other urinary problems can get help from Drs. Craig Herman, Steven Kester, and the skilled medical team at the Urology Center of Florida.
Understanding your urinary system
Your urinary system is primarily a filter, moving toxins and waste out of your body while working alongside your gastrointestinal and circulatory systems. The food and drink we ingest work their way through our body in the digestive tract, where nutrients are broken down and passed into the bloodstream. What your body doesn’t need works its way through the urinary tract, where your kidneys, ureter, bladder and urethra work to eliminate it when you urinate.
How urinary incontinence affects us
Incontinence is the result of one or more parts of your urinary tract being affected by an infection, injury, or excess pressure exerted on your bladder. There are different types of incontinence, such as urge (an intense need to go), stress (often due to muscle weakness), overflow (inability to properly empty your bladder), and mixed (a combination of types).
Each of these types of incontinence makes it harder for you to control urination and leads to a struggle to reach the bathroom in time. These forms of incontinence are caused by a variety of conditions, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), medications, beverages, constipation, pelvic floor disorders, stroke, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and enlarged prostate.
Treatment methods
Depending on the cause and severity of your incontinence, several treatment options are available:
Behavioral
Mild cases can be managed with behavioral techniques to retrain your bladder, such as delaying urination, double voiding, scheduling toilet trips, and managing your diet and fluids.
Physical
Kegel exercises are used to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which support the tissues and organs in your pelvis. They include tightening the muscles you use to stop urinating, working up to holding the contractions for longer periods, and repeating this process several times a day.
Medication
Drugs can be used to calm an overactive bladder, relax the bladder muscles, and increase the amount of urine your bladder can hold. Anticholinergics, mirabegron (Myrbetriq), and alpha blockers are some of the medications that can be used for this purpose.
Surgical
In more severe cases, surgery may be the best choice. Several surgeries, including sling procedures, bladder neck suspension, and artificial urinary sphincter procedures, can be done depending on your needs.
You can be afflicted with urinary incontinence for a number of reasons, but regardless of the reason, we’re here to help. Call or message our Pompano Beach, Florida, office today to get relief.
You Might Also Enjoy...
5 Signs You May Have BPH
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) is the shortened term for an enlarged prostate, an illness that becomes a greater risk for men as they age. It’s a manageable problem, but it means knowing the signs to look for and getting help as soon as possible.
Yes, Men Can Get Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormones are vital for your health, as they send signals that help regulate essential functions throughout your body. Imbalances in the levels of these chemicals can lead to problems in men that may require hormone replacement therapy.
Why Do My PSA Levels Keep Climbing?
As you get older, the chances of prostate problems increase, and when that happens, you should undergo tests to measure your PSA levels. If these levels are on the rise, you’ll need to know what they mean and how that affects your health.
Can Dehydration Cause Blood in My Urine?
We rely heavily on water: It makes up a large part of our overall volume, and we need to drink it regularly to stay alive. Dehydration can affect us in many ways, but can it cause hematuria, or blood in your urine? Read on to find out.
Am I Too Young to Have ED?
Millions of men struggle with erectile dysfunction, and, while it is more common as you get older, some factors can cause it to happen at a younger age than you might expect. Read on to find out more.