Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

Treatment of urinary incontinence depends on the type of dysfunction that is diagnosed. Management options can be behavioral, medical and surgical. Lifestyle modification such as weight loss, smoking cessation, fluid management and caffeine reduction can help dramatically. Taking notice of dietary issues can be a start. Your physician may advise you to begin by avoiding foods and drinks that contain stimulants. Stimulants worsen the symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency.

Bladder Training

Bladder training involves relearning how to urinate. This method of rehabilitation is usually used for active women with urge incontinence and sensory urge symptoms known as urgency. Many people who have urge incontinence sense that they have to urinate, but their bladder is not full and they do not urinate much when they return to the bathroom frequently. This means that, although their bladder is not full, it is signaling for them to void.

For bladder training to work, you must resist or inhibit the feeling of urgency and wait to go to the bathroom. You must urinate according to a scheduled timetable rather than every time you have the feeling that you need to urinate. There are distraction and relaxation techniques to delay voiding to help expand the urinary bladder. By using these strategies, you can train the bladder to accommodate more stored urine.

Pelvic Muscle Rehabilitation
Pelvic floor exercises, sometimes called Kegel exercises, are a rehabilitation technique used to tighten and tone the pelvic floor muscles that have become weak over time. These exercises strengthen the sphincter muscle to prevent urine from leaking out due to stress incontinence. Pregnancy, childbirth, excess weight, chronic coughing and just getting older can all take a toll on your pelvic floor muscles. So can a genetic predisposition to weak connective tissue.
Fortunately, Kegel exercises can strengthen pelvic muscles. It may take diligence to identify your pelvic floor muscles and learn how to contract and relax them.

Medications for Treating Incontinence

Medication is often prescribed to treat overactive bladder, which can decrease involuntary bladder contractions. A Physician can also take a person off a drug that is causing or contributing to incontinence. Sometimes, side effects such as dry mouth and constipation limit the use of these drugs.

These are all non-surgical treatments for Incontinence. If non-surgical treatments prove to be unsuccessful in treating your Incontinence there are several minimally invasive procedures that can be performed surgically.

This information is provided for your information. It is not medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for visiting your doctor. If you need medical care, or have any questions, please contact your obstetrician-gynecologist.