Urinary Incontinence

You may not know it (because no one talks about urine leakage), but you’re not alone if you struggle with urinary incontinence because it affects more than 60% of women and at least 10% of men. Cynthia Moorman, MD, and the team at Urology Consultants of Maryland offer a wide range of effective treatments for urinary incontinence, helping women and men overcome the challenge and return to an active lifestyle. Call the office in Frederick, Maryland, or connect online to request an appointment and start personalized care for urinary incontinence.

What does it mean to have urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence means that you lose control of your bladder and accidentally leak urine. Your urine leakage may be minor or cause your entire bladder to empty. You may occasionally leak urine when you cough or exercise. Or you could uncontrollably lose urine all the time.

You might develop urinary incontinence from:

• Alcohol, caffeine, and certain foods
• Urinary tract infections
• Overactive muscles
• Weak pelvic floor muscles
• Nerve problems
• Vaginal prolapse
• Enlarged prostate
• Certain cancers

Problems that weaken the pelvic floor muscles include vaginal delivery, hormone changes (especially at menopause), and age-related muscle degeneration.

Can I have different types of urinary incontinence?

You could have one of four types of urinary incontinence:

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence causes urine loss when pressure is placed on your abdomen. For example, you may leak when you laugh, sneeze, cough, or lift a heavy object.

Urge incontinence (overactive bladder)

Urge incontinence occurs when a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate causes leaking. This type of incontinence often causes urinary frequency and makes you feel the need to urinate even if your bladder isn’t full.

Overflow incontinence

This type of incontinence occurs when your bladder is too full, causing urine to leak out. Overflow incontinence may also cause urinary frequency.

Mixed incontinence

People with mixed incontinence have more than one type, usually a mix of stress and urge incontinence.

Is incontinence the only cause of urinary frequency?

You have urinary frequency if you urinate more than eight times daily or you wake during the night needing to urinate. Although an overactive bladder often causes urinary frequency, this problem arises from many conditions, including urinary tract infections, diabetes, prostate problems, and neurological conditions.

How is incontinence treated?

Your Urology Consultants of Maryland provider may perform urodynamic testing to evaluate how your bladder and urethra hold and release urine. Then they create a customized treatment plan based on the severity, cause, and type of urinary incontinence.

Your incontinence treatment may include:

• Pelvic floor exercises
• Bladder training
• Medications
• Bulking injections
• Botox® injections
• Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS)
• Viveve® System (radiofrequency treatment)

These treatments often improve urinary incontinence, but if the problem persists, you may be a good candidate for surgery to reinforce the pelvic floor muscles.

Call Urology Consultants of Maryland or book an appointment online today to overcome urinary incontinence.