Incontinence Treatment Provider

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. A common problem, incontinence can range in severity from small amounts of urine leaking when you cough or sneeze to not being able to make it to the bathroom in time. There are several types of incontinence, including urge and stress incontinence, and some people have a combination.

What is urge incontinence?

With urge incontinence, urinary leaking begins at the first impulse to void; making it to the bathroom in time is difficult. Symptoms of urge incontinence can vary from moderate to severe.

Summit Urology offers a variety of treatments for urge incontinence including:

• Medications
• Estrogen supplements for women
• Biofeedback to retrain the bladder
• Botox® to relax bladder muscles
• InterStim™ neuromodulation therapy
• Urgent® PC neuromodulation therapy

What is stress incontinence?

With stress incontinence, leakage is caused by some form of exertion or pressure like jogging, coughing, or sneezing. This form of incontinence is responsive to therapies including:

• Bladder suspension procedures like Burch colposuspension or  Marshal-Marchetti-Krantz (MMK) suspension
• Collagen injections to help strengthen the muscles to correct leakage
• Pubovaginal sling procedures to lift the bladder back into its natural position

What causes incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is not a disease; it’s a problem caused by lifestyle factors or physical issues. Factors or conditions that may temporarily cause bladder irritation and urinary incontinence include:

• Urinary tract infections
• Constipation
• Chocolate or other sugary foods
• Spicy foods, such as hot peppers, or acidic foods like citrus fruits or tomatoes
• Certain beverages, such as alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or carbonated drinks
• Artificial sweeteners
• Certain medications

In women, physical conditions that may contribute to urinary incontinence include pregnancy and childbirth, having a hysterectomy, or being in menopause. Prostate conditions may contribute to incontinence in men.

Your risk of developing urinary incontinence also increases as you age or if you gain weight. Women, people with diabetes or neurological issues, and people with a family history of incontinence have a higher risk of developing the condition.

Call Summit Urology or schedule an appointment online today.

Learn more about treatment options here!