Urinary Incontinence Treatment in Northern New Jersey
Urinary incontinence, also referred to as overactive bladder, leads to leaking urine that cannot be controlled. It can affect a person’s daily life and be a sign of other urological conditions or infections. Fortunately, there are treatment options available. Bergen Medical Associates is a multi-specialty medical provider serving patients throughout northern New Jersey with high-quality care for urinary incontinence and other urology services. Learn more about the condition and urinary incontinence treatment from Bergen Medical Associates.
What Is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is a urological condition that causes a patient to involuntarily release urine. This happens when the muscles in and around the bladder do not function properly. It is common in older adults and women but can happen to people of any age and gender. The type of incontinence a patient has will affect how often they experience leaks and how much urine they leak. Some patients may only leak occasionally and only in droplets. Other patients may leak often in larger amounts. The four main types of incontinence are:
- Stress incontinence: This type occurs when stress is put on the bladder during exercise, coughing, sneezing, or lifting heavy objects.
- Urge incontinence: This type happens when a sudden need to urinate occurs and cannot be held, common in people with diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions.
- Overflow incontinence: This type occurs when small amounts of urine leak from a full bladder, often caused by an enlarged prostate, diabetes, or a spinal cord injury.
- Functional incontinence: This type happens in older people with normal bladder control who may not move quickly enough to always make it to a bathroom.
Some people may experience a mix of these types. Knowing the type of urinary incontinence is important for guiding treatment decisions. A visit to a doctor to discuss symptoms, get a physical exam, and undergo urine testing can help determine which type the patient has.
What Are the Causes and Risk Factors of Urinary Incontinence?
Incontinence can be short-term or long-term, depending on the cause. Certain medications or infections in the urinary tract (UTI) or vagina can cause short-term bladder control problems. However, when a patient experiences ongoing incontinence, it is often due to an underlying medical condition such as:
- Weak bladder or pelvic floor muscles
- Overactive bladder muscles
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Prostatitis, a painful inflammation of the prostate gland
- Injury or damage to nerves or muscles from surgery
- An enlarged prostate gland
Nerve damage from multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or other conditions may also cause incontinence. If the type is stress incontinence, some risk factors can increase a person’s chances of developing it. These include age, obesity, smoking, and family history.
What Are Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence?
Issues with bladder control can be embarrassing and affect a patient’s lifestyle. Some patients do not seek help because they are ashamed. Feelings of embarrassment are understandable, but compassionate urologists can offer treatment to help control incontinence. Patients dealing with bladder control problems should see their doctor to discuss treatment options like:
Lifestyle Changes
For patients with certain types of incontinence, the doctor may recommend lifestyle changes. These include:
- Bladder training: This technique aims to increase the time between trips to the toilet by waiting out the inclination to immediately go to the bathroom once the urge occurs.
- Double voiding: This technique helps patients learn to empty their bladder more completely by having them urinate, wait a few minutes, and try to urinate again.
- Scheduled toilet trips: This involves keeping a consistent bathroom schedule to prevent the chances of leaks, whether the patient needs to go or not.
- Fluid and diet management: This involves adjusting diet or fluid intake to regain control of the bladder.
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises: These exercises, like Kegels, help strengthen the muscles that control urination to prevent the possibility of leaks.
These techniques are often the first step in treating mild incontinence.
Medications
Some patients with incontinence will be prescribed medications as a treatment. Options include:
- Anticholinergics: These medications help calm an overactive bladder in patients with urge incontinence.
- Mirabegron: This medication relaxes the bladder muscles and helps the bladder empty more completely in patients with urge incontinence.
- Alpha blockers: These medicines are prescribed to male patients with urge or overflow incontinence to relax bladder and prostate muscles and make emptying the bladder easier.
Medical Devices
Another option to help manage symptoms of incontinence is using medical devices. There are a range of options to choose from, although some are gender specific. These include:
- Urethral insert: This is a small, tampon-like device that is inserted into the urethra before an activity that can trigger incontinence to prevent leakage.
- Pessary: This is a flexible silicone ring inserted into the vagina to help support the urethra and prevent leakage.
- Pads and adult diapers: These products are worn under the clothes to absorb urine when it leaks.
- Catheter: This is a soft tube that is inserted into the patient’s urethra to drain their bladder.
Medical devices like these are often prescribed when incontinence is difficult to control with other treatments.
Surgery
In patients with incontinence who have not seen relief from lifestyle changes, medications, or medical devices, surgical treatment may be recommended. Various surgeries can help treat the underlying problem and provide a solution for incontinence. They include:
- Sling procedures to treat stress incontinence by creating a pelvic sling under the urethra
- Bladder neck suspension to support the urethra and prevent leaks
- Artificial urinary sphincter surgery, where a fluid-filled ring is implanted around the bladder neck to control urine flow
Patients with incontinence should speak to their medical provider to discuss the most appropriate treatment option for their specific condition.
Learn More About Urinary Incontinence Treatment Today
Patients may be embarrassed about urinary incontinence, but they should not let it stop them from seeking treatment. At Bergen Medical Associates, the experienced urology team is led by Richard Garden, MD, and provides compassionate and comprehensive care for incontinence and other conditions. With more than two decades of experience serving the northern New Jersey area at several convenient office locations, Bergen Medical Associates is a trusted place for quality medical care. To learn more about urinary incontinence treatment, request an appointment today at Bergen Medical Associates.
