Causes and Treatments of Incontinence or Urine Leakage

Generally bladder control problems fall into one of these categories:

• Support problems or Stress Incontinence-usually occurring after childbirth and due to collagen tissue damage in the birth process, although some patients who have never given birth have this problem. This condition is characterized by a small amount of urine leakage with coughing, sneezing, lifting, laughing, jumping with or without a full bladder.
  • Usually can be treated with strengthening exercises.
  • Other treatments can include temporary vaginal lifting with a rubber ring or cube called a pessary
  • Surgical treatment include vaginal slings to lift the urethra tube or bladder neck performed as an outpatient
  • May need to be combined with pelvic floor repair to treat
• Nerve problems or Urge Incontinence-usually occurring when the urge to urinate becomes overwhelming. This condition is characterized by a large amount of urine leakage on the way to the bathroom.
  • Can be treated with bladder drills or retraining
  • Medication treatment can improve bladder control
• Overflow Incontinence-abnormal feedback from the bladder affects the perception of how full the bladder is. This can be due to a neurologic problem or a lifetime of bad habits. The treatment is scheduled voiding but may require self-catheterization if there is a problem with emptying the bladder.

At Center for Women's Health we are often able to pinpoint the cause of your bladder problems through a careful history and physical exam. If there is evidence of more than one type of incontinence, or "mixed incontinence", a CMG or cystometrogram can be helpful by measuring the function of the bladder.

Once the cause of the incontinence is determined we can offer treatment including outpatient vaginal slings, injections or medication treatment.