The Different Types of Urinary Incontinence

There are so many wonderful things about getting older. You have new experiences, perspectives, and milestones to hang your hat on. With these positive changes come a series of frustrating and embarrassing ones, especially when it comes to your physical health. Most women accept urinary incontinence as a part of aging. We want you to know that you can live a normal and comfortable life even in your golden years. 

At Women’s Health Services, our team of supportive and experienced doctors is here to lend a sympathetic ear and a customized treatment plan for your urinary incontinence so you can take back of your bladder and your life. 

Bladder basics

Your bladder is likely one of the least comfortable parts of your body to talk about and probably hasn’t been a concern of yours since you mastered potty training all those years ago. 

Unfortunately, your bladder becomes much more of a worry as you get older. The strong muscle walls used to store your urine have weakened with age and start to contract involuntarily. This leads to the embarrassing problem you know as urinary incontinence. 

Urinary incontinence simply means you’ve lost control of your ability to “hold it.” This is a problem that can make normal life and activities stressful or almost impossible. The first step in getting relief from your symptoms is identifying which type of urinary incontinence you have.

Types of urinary incontinence

Figuring out which type of urinary incontinence you have helps our doctors decide which treatment plan will work best for you. Here are a few of the ways it can show up in your life:

Overflow incontinence

When you go to the bathroom and think you’ve completely drained your tank but you experience dribbling afterward, you have overflow incontinence. This is a result of a bladder that hasn’t fully emptied and causes frequent or constant spilling over to get rid of leftover urine. 

Stress incontinence

Have you laughed, coughed, sneezed, or lifted something heavy and felt yourself leak? You likely have stress incontinence. This happens when you put pressure on your bladder, and it can’t help but empty itself even if you’re miles from the nearest toilet. 

Urge incontinence

This is perhaps the most frustrating kind of incontinence. You’ll be going about your normal routine when you’re struck with a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed quickly by loss of urine. This kind of incontinence can also happen during the night time, making it extremely difficult to manage on your own. 

Functional incontinence

Functional incontinence isn’t just an age issue. This type stems from a mental or physical impairment that makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to reach a toilet in time. For example, if you have a condition like arthritis, it can be tricky to unbutton your pants quickly enough to successfully use the restroom. 

Mixed incontinence

You might have mixed incontinence if you experience more than one type of incontinence. 

No matter what type you have, our doctors have a treatment plan that will have your system working as good as it did in your hay day.

Treating your incontinence

We want every woman to live comfortably and feel confident that they can go about their normal lives without the threat of an accident. That’s why we offer a wide range of treatment options for urinary incontinence including:

• Behavioral techniques
• Bladder training
• Lifestyle changes
• Pelvic floor muscle exercises
• Medication
• Botox® injections

We aim to treat your condition as conservatively as possible, but we recommend surgical intervention if your incontinence is severe. 

Don’t spend another daydreaming of the days when you were in total control of your body. Make it a reality and come see our doctors. If you’d like more information or want to get started with a consultation, call our office or schedule an appointment online.