Urinary Incontinence Q & A

 

What is urinary incontinence?

 

Urinary incontinence causes sudden urine release when you're not trying to urinate. The main types of urinary incontinence are as follows:

 

Stress incontinence

 

With stress incontinence, you leak urine when sneezing, coughing, or other stressors put pressure on the bladder.

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Urge incontinence

 

When you have urge incontinence, urine leaks out after a sudden urge to urinate, and you don’t have enough time to reach the toilet.

 

Overflow incontinence

 

With overflow incontinence, urine leaks out because your bladder never entirely empties.

 

Functional incontinence

 

In functional incontinence, urine leakage is tied to health issues or medications.

 

What kind of urinary incontinence is most common?

 

Stress incontinence is the most common kind of urinary incontinence, especially among women. This type affects women of all ages but is most common during and after pregnancy and during menopause.

 

How does Dr. Lori diagnose urinary incontinence?

 

Dr. Lori discusses your symptoms and medical history to form a preliminary diagnosis. Expect to answer questions about:

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• Frequency of urination and accidents

• Amount of urine leaked during accidents

• Current and past medications

• History of pregnancies

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Next, Dr. Lori performs a pelvic exam and testing to confirm the preliminary diagnosis. Depending on your needs, testing may include:

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• Urine test

• Abdominal ultrasound

• Bladder stress test

• Cystoscopy

• Urodynamic testing

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What is a bladder sling?

 

Dr. Lori may recommend bladder sling surgery to prevent urine leaks, particularly for stress incontinence.

 

To perform this surgery, Dr. Lori first creates a sling from either your body tissues or synthetic materials. Next, she attaches the sling below your urethra and bladder, where it acts as a supportive structure.

 

To make the embarrassment of urinary incontinence a thing of the past. Use the online contact form to arrange an appointment with Dr. Lori today.

 

*Individual results may vary.