Treatment of Urinary Incontinence in New York

What is Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the inability to prevent urine from leaking. Episodes of incontinence may consist of just dribbles or large gushes, and may be so frequent that they interfere with everyday activities or require special precautions to prevent embarrassing accidents. At The Woman's Health Pavilion, we are experienced in dealing with the frustration patients suffering from incontinence, and we offer lasting solutions that help women regain control of their lives.

What causes Incontinence?
Incontinence in women is broken down into three broad categories: Stress Incontinence, Urge Incontinence, and Overflow Incontinence.

Stress incontinence occurs when weakening of the pelvic floor muscles permits the bladder to sag, or "prolapse." Often, the same weakness will allow the womb (uterus) to sag into the vagina as well. Women with stress incontinence typically lose urine with coughing, laughing, and straining. They may also notice the sensation of something hanging in the vagina, sometimes interfering with sexual relations. Low back pain is also common, due to sagging of the other pelvic organs. In most women with stress incontinence, weakening of the pelvic floor muscles starts with childbirth and gets worse with age.

Urge incontinence refers to the loss of urine while feeling the urge to void, often on the way to the bathroom. For women with urge incontinence, having to void is an emergency, because they cannot hold urine once the urge occurs. These women typically "scout" a room any time they go somewhere new, so that they know exactly where the bathrooms are. Urge incontinence in women is usually associated with detrusor instability, otherwise known as an "overactive" or "spastic" bladder. For these women, the muscles of bladder wall contract involuntarily, causing unexpected leakage of large amounts of urine.

Overflow incontinence occurs when the normal sensation of bladder fullness is lost or impaired. Without the sensation of fullness, women cannot tell when the bladder has filled to capacity, and therefore will leak as a result of overfilling. Overflow incontinence can be caused by many conditions, but chronic medical conditions like diabetes are among the most common.

Incontinence is Common
If you have trouble controlling your bladder you are not alone: Millions of women suffer from incontinence. For years, these women were told to accept the loss of bladder control as a normal part of aging. While common, however, incontinence is NOT a normal part of aging. It may prevent women from enjoying physical activities; it may cause sleepless nights and interfere with sexual relations; it may require constant use of protective pads that are uncomfortable and embarrassing to use. Obviously, incontinence is a major quality-of-life issue, and women need not accept it as a normal part of aging.

Incontinence is Treatable
Successful treatment of incontinence begins with an accurate diagnosis. At The Woman's Health Pavilion, we begin with a thorough history and comprehensive physical exam. This often provides clues to the cause of your incontinence. The next step is a simple test called urodynamics. To perform this test, we fill the bladder with sterile water and ask you to cough or strain. A special monitor measures pressures inside the bladder as it fills, and analyzing the results tells us if your bladder is functioning normally. Urodynamics is not painful: Most women describe a only a slight pressure when the bladder is filled, and can return to work right after the test.

Once urodynamics is completed, a personalized treatment plan can be developed. Treatment may be as easy as doing special exercises that strengthen the muscles of the pelvis. For some women, medications can provide relief. For other women, procedures that lift the bladder to its normal position can provide lasting relief. For virtually all women, urinary incontinence can be controlled, and in most cases, cured.

At The Woman's Health Pavilion, we are committed to helping women solve the problem of incontinence, resuming the activities they enjoy most. Call us today to get in control again.