Health

Prevention of Urinary Incontinence and How Your Doctor Can Help Manage the Condition

Urinary incontinence is a common problem affecting most women in their reproductive years. Though you are likely to ignore it, incontinence can affect your life quality and interfere with your social life. Yakov Levy MD PC is your leading specialist for pelvic rehabilitation and urinary incontinence in Midtown East facility. The facility’s experts use an integrated approach to take care of their patients’ gynecological worries including fertility evaluations, pelvic pain, and menopause.    

What are the likely causes of urinary incontinence?

Your lower urinary tract comprises the bladder (for urine storage) and the urethra (responsible for controlling urine from your bladder for excretion). The urinary tract also has the internal and external sphincters, which act as your bladder’s outlet and open and shut, dictating urine flow from your bladder, respectively. When you urinate, your bladder’s sphincter muscles squeeze to force urine out of your body. Unfortunately, a malfunction of these features can result in urinary incontinence.

Though incontinence is likely to increase with age, you could also fail to retain your urine because of;

  •         Stress factors like coughing
  •         Obesity
  •         Pregnancy and childbirth
  •         Hysterectomy 
  •         Obstruction of your urinary tract
  •         Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease

How do you prevent yourself from getting urinary incontinence?

According to health experts, the condition is not a disease. Urinary incontinence is a symptom likely to result from your daily habits, physical issues, or underlying conditions. Fortunately, a thorough evaluation by your doctor will help assess your incontinence’s root cause. It is hard to prevent urine incontinence. However, you can decrease your risks by;

  •         Eliminating bladder-irritant foods and drinks
  •         Doing regular pelvic floor exercises
  •         Maintaining a healthy weight
  •         Quitting bad habits like smoking
  •         Eating fiber-rich fruits and foods

How can your doctor help you manage urinary incontinence?

There are various types of urinary incontinence. Therefore, before your doctor devises a plan to help alleviate your symptoms, he will look at several factors including your age, mental health, type of incontinence, and general health. Treatment options for urinary incontinence include:

Non-surgical treatments

There are various non-surgical treatment options your doctor will recommend helping with urine retention. They include:

  •         Bladder training. Your doctor will use the training to control your urination urges and help you have control of your bladder gradually. He will suggest different options.
  • Delaying urination every time you have an urge
  • Double voiding entails urinating then waiting for a few minutes before urinating again
  • Toilet timetable, which means that you schedule a specific time you should urinate
  •         Medication. Your doctor will prescribe medications you will use alongside other exercises.
  •         Radiofrequency therapy.
  •         Medical devices. The various devices help you control urine leakage by closing your urethra. They include urethral inserts and pessary.

Surgical procedures

Surgery will be your doctor’s last resort when all the other options fail. However, your doctor will discuss your options before the procedure. The surgical options include;

  •         Sling procedures. During the operation, your doctor supports your urethra with a mesh to prevent leakage.
  •         Artificial sphincters. Your doctor will insert a valve or an artificial sphincter to control urine flow.
  •         Colposuspension. The procedure prompts your doctor to lift your bladder’s neck to relieve you from incontinence.   

Discussing urinary incontinence could be uncomfortable. However, you should not be reluctant to seek professional help if the incontinence is frequent and interfering with your everyday life. Book an appointment or contact the professionals today for more inquiries. 

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