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Urinary Incontinence in Charlottesville, VA
Regain confidence and control with expert care for your urinary incontinence.
What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control, leading to involuntary leakage of urine. It can range from occasional leaks when laughing or sneezing to a sudden, strong urge to urinate that’s difficult to control. While more common in women due to pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, it is not a normal part of aging and can often be treated successfully.
Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence
The symptoms of urinary incontinence can include:
- Leaking urine when coughing, sneezing, or laughing
- Sudden, strong urges to urinate
- Frequent urination throughout the day
- Waking up multiple times at night to urinate
- Inability to reach the bathroom in time
- Feeling like the bladder is never fully empty
- Unintentional urine leakage during physical activity
- Constant dribbling due to incomplete bladder emptying
- Increased urgency after drinking even small amounts of liquid
- Urine loss triggered by stress or pressure on the bladder
Treatment for Urinary Incontinence
At The Center For Advanced Gynecology, we offer a range of treatment options. Whether your symptoms are mild or significantly impacting your daily life, we provide solutions to help you regain control and confidence.
Lifestyle and Behavioral Modifications
- Bladder training: Gradually increasing the time between bathroom trips to improve bladder control
- Pelvic floor exercises: Strengthening the muscles that support bladder function and reduce leakage
- Dietary adjustments: Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and acidic foods that can irritate the bladder
- Fluid management: Regulating fluid intake to prevent excessive urgency or nighttime urination
Medications
Certain medications help reduce bladder spasm, relax the bladder muscles, and can reduce urgency related urine leaking. Your provider will determine if medication is a good option for your specific type of incontinence.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
- Botox injections: Helps relax an overactive bladder, reducing urgency and frequency and lasting 3-6 months per injection.
- Pessary device: A small, removable device inserted into the vagina to support the bladder and reduce leakage
- Nerve stimulation therapy: Uses gentle electrical impulses to regulate bladder activity
Surgical Options
For cases where other treatments are not effective, surgical interventions might be considered:
- Urethral bulking: the injection of a non-absorbable substance into the tissues surrounding the urethra to help keep it closed and prevent urine from leaking out.
- Bladder sling procedure: Supports the urethra and reduces stress incontinence
- Bladder neck suspension: Provides additional support to the bladder and urethra
- Artificial urinary sphincter: A device implanted to control urine flow for very severe cases
Your provider will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your symptoms and lifestyle.
Who Needs Treatment?
You might benefit from urinary incontinence if you are:
- Experiencing frequent urine leakage during daily activities
- Waking up multiple times at night to urinate
- Feeling a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate
- Avoiding exercise or social activities due to bladder concerns
- Using pads or protective liners to manage unexpected leaks
- Noticing worsening bladder control after childbirth or menopause
- Struggling to fully empty your bladder
- Experiencing urine loss when coughing, laughing, or sneezing
- Feeling like your bladder is never fully empty
- Concerned about the impact of incontinence on your quality of life
What are the Risks?
While treatments for urinary incontinence are generally safe, some medications can cause side effects like dry mouth or constipation, and procedures can carry a small risk of infection or urinary retention. Your provider will evaluate your medical history to determine the safest and most effective approach for your needs.
What to Expect During Your Visit
If you’re experiencing urinary incontinence, your provider will discuss your symptoms, medical history, and how incontinence is affecting your daily life. They will explain the different treatment options available and answer any questions you might have before creating a personalized plan.
During your initial visit, your provider might perform a pelvic exam to assess bladder function and check for any underlying conditions. Additional tests, such as a bladder function tests, urine analysis, or ultrasound, might be recommended to better understand the cause of your symptoms.
Once a treatment plan is in place, you will start noticing improvements over time. Lifestyle changes and exercises can provide gradual results, while medications and procedures offer faster relief. Follow-up appointments will allow your provider to monitor your progress, adjust treatments if needed, and make sure you’re on the right path to better bladder control.
Why Choose The Center For Advanced Gynecology
The Center for Advanced Gynecology, established in 2018, is dedicated to improving your health by offering expertise in various areas, with a specific focus on gynecological care and advanced surgical techniques when surgery is needed.
Our team provides specialized expertise in non-surgical treatment of chronic pelvic pain, painful intercourse, pudendal neuralgia, and vaginal, vulvar, and bladder pain.
Since opening our doors, we have recognized the need in our community for more than just specialty care and have a growing practice in routine gynecologic care, cancer screening, Pap smears, menopausal management, hormonal imbalances, hormone replacement therapy, breast care, contraceptive care, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Urinary incontinence affects people for different reasons, including weakened pelvic floor muscles, nerve damage, or underlying medical conditions. Factors like pregnancy, weight gain, menopause, and aging can also contribute to urine leakage. Your provider will help determine the cause and recommend the best treatment for you.
Stress urinary incontinence occurs when pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, or exercising, causes urine leaks. Urge urinary incontinence, also known as overactive bladder, is when you feel a sudden, strong need to urinate and might not make it to the bathroom in time. Some people experience mixed incontinence, which is a combination of both.
Yes, many cases of urinary incontinence can be managed with non-surgical treatments. Strengthening pelvic floor muscles through targeted exercises, making lifestyle changes, and using bladder training techniques can improve bladder control. Medications or minimally invasive procedures can also help, depending on the type of incontinence you experience.
A urinary tract infection can cause temporary bladder control issues, leading to increased urgency, frequent urination, and urine leaks. Once the infection is treated, symptoms typically improve. If bladder control issues persist, further evaluation may be needed.
Overflow incontinence happens when the bladder does not empty completely, leading to frequent dribbling of urine. This can occur due to weak bladder muscle contractions or blockages in the urinary tract. Conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia in men or nerve damage can contribute to this type of incontinence.