The involuntary loss of urine, called urinary incontinence, is experienced by women twice as often as men. It can range from slightly bothersome (loss of a few drops of urine when running or coughing) to debilitating (loss of a large amount of urine with little or no warning, thereby keeping women from leaving home).
Types of urinary incontinence include:
- Stress Incontinence — Urine leaks from pressure on your bladder from you coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting a heavy object.
- Urge Incontinence — You have an intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine.
- Overflow Incontinence — You experience frequent leaking of urine due to your bladder not emptying fully.
- Mixed Incontinence — You experience more than one type of incontinence.
Many people experience mixed or multiple forms of incontinence.
Pelvic organ prolapse, when the bladder or other organs drop from their normal spot, can also lead to urinary incontinence. It is often linked to strain from childbirth or following a hysterectomy.
Your physician at Desert West Obstetrics & Gynecology now has multiple options to treat urinary incontinence. These can include recommendations of lifestyle changes, Kegel exercises, medications, or a bladder leakage/sling procedure.
Desert West also uses the Attain system which is designed for at-home use to treat women who are suffering from stress, urge, mixed urinary incontinence, and bowel incontinence without surgery, medication, or side effects. Its patented technology combines the benefits of gentle muscle stimulation to exercise and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles with guided biofeedback so you can get feedback on your progress.
If you are experiencing urinary incontinence, talk to your Desert West doctor to learn more about your treatment options.