Urinary Incontinence Specialist

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence causes you to lose control of your bladder, resulting in involuntary urine leakage. It’s a common problem that tends to affect men and women aged 50 and older.

Urinary incontinence isn’t always the sign of a more serious underlying health problem. Often, with healthy lifestyle changes, it’s possible to manage symptoms and prevent them from worsening.

What are the types of urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence falls into five distinct categories:

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence occurs due to pressure on the bladder. Common causes include coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects, or exercising.

Urge incontinence

Urge incontinence strikes suddenly with no warning. It causes a sudden urge to urinate, followed by an involuntary bladder void. Urge incontinence often occurs due to an underlying condition like diabetes or a urinary infection.

Overflow incontinence

Overflow incontinence occurs when your bladder fails to empty. Over time, that causes urine to collect and fill the bladder, resulting in a void.

Functional incontinence

Functional incontinence occurs due to a physical or mental impairment that prevents you from reaching the bathroom on time. For example, if you have Parkinson’s disease, you might not be able to quickly unfasten your belt or zipper.

Mixed incontinence

Mixed incontinence occurs when you experience two or more types of incontinence at the same time.

When should I see a urologist about urinary incontinence?

Incontinence isn’t always easy to talk about, but it’s important to seek professional medical help. That’s because, without early intervention and treatment, urinary incontinence can:

• Negatively affect your quality of life
• Indicate a more serious underlying health problem
• Increase the risk of falls and accidents
• Limit your social interactions
  
  

If you’ve stopped participating in your favorite hobbies or activities due to your symptoms, contact the team at Hemet Valley Urology Medical Center right away.

How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?

To diagnose urinary incontinence, your provider conducts a physical exam and asks about your symptoms, including when they started, their severity, and if any foods or beverages seem to make them worse.

If these measures don’t provide enough information, your provider orders additional testing like urinalysis or postvoid residual measurement. Urinalysis analyzes your urine for signs of infection or other abnormalities. A postvoid residual measurement determines how much urine is left in your bladder after urinating.

How is urinary incontinence treated?  

Treatment of urinary incontinence depends on the type you have and its effect on your quality of life. Often, healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight, planning bathroom breaks, and eating a nutritious diet are enough to significantly improve your symptoms. 

If these steps don’t provide relief, your provider might recommend pelvic floor exercises, prescription medication, or electrical stimulation. 

To receive treatment for urinary incontinence, make an appointment at Hemet Valley Urology Medical Center by calling the office or clicking the online booking tool today.