Urinary incontinence is leaking urine by accident
A treatable condition in women and men.
This can turn a laughing fit or fun workout into a stressful and potentially uncomfortable situation.
Urinary incontinence occurs more in older people, especially women. These bladder control problems are very common and you should not feel embarrassed talking to a urologist about your symptoms.
3 common types of urinary incontinence in women
Stress urinary incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine during physical activities, like laughing, jumping, sneezing or lifting heavy objects. It occurs when the muscles that support the urethra are weakened or damaged. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including:
- Childbirth
- Hormone changes
- Prior surgery
- Pelvic radiation treatment
Urge urinary incontinence
Urge urinary incontinence is the unintended loss of urine due to an involuntary bladder contraction. Patients often describe a sense of undeniable urge to void prior to urge incontinence episodes. Patients report urge urinary incontinence as losing their warning time to make it to the bathroom. They often feel the need to go even if they just emptied their bladder.
Urge incontinence is often associated with symptoms of frequent trips to the bathroom known as overactive bladder.
Mixed urinary incontinence
Mixed urinary incontinence is involuntary bladder leakage associated with a combination of both urge and stress urinary incontinence.
1 in 2
Adult Women
have urinary incontinence. [1]
[1] Markland AD, Richter HE, Fwu C-W, et al. Prevalence and trends of urinary incontinence in adults in the United States, 2001 to 2008. J Urol. 2011 Aug;186(2):589-93.
Urinary incontinence affects more people than you might think.
The important thing to remember is that although incontinence is more common as we age, urine leakage is never normal. There are millions of women out there just like you who experience some form of bladder leakage.
- On average, women wait 6.5 years after having symptoms to see a doctor. [2]
- Less than 50% of women with bladder leakage discuss their symptoms with their doctor. [3]
[2] International Continence Society. Continence Promotion: Prevention, Education and Organization. https://www.ics.org/Publications/ICI_3/v1.pdf/chap1.pdf. Accessed December 13, 2021.
[3] Kinchen KS, Burgio K, Diokno AC, et al. Factors associated with women’s decisions to seek treatment for urinary incontinence. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2003 Sep;12(7):687-98.
Understanding urinary incontinence in men
Causes of urinary incontinence in men include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Side effects of other treatments (e.g. prostate cancer)
- Obstruction
- Urinary disorder
- Aging
It’s important to note that urinary incontinence is a symptom of something else (rather than a disease itself). Because of the nature of this condition, many people are embarrassed and/or hesitant to discuss incontinence and seek treatment. Here’s what to keep in mind: You are not alone, and we want to help.
Our board-certified urologists are ready to listen, answer your questions, and work with you on a treatment protocol that makes sense for you and your life.
Treatment options
Options to manage
- Pelvic floor muscle training – Types of training include Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and sphincter muscles.
- Pessaries – One type of treatment is use of pessaries, which are silicone devices fitted inside the vagina to provide support. Pessaries may or may not improve symptoms. When symptoms are more severe, or conservative options aren’t working, procedures such as bulking agent injections or sling surgery may be an option.
- Altaviva™ – The Altaviva™ implant is placed near the ankle through a minimally invasive procedure that does not require general anesthesia or sedation, with therapy activated the same day. It is MRI-ready from the start for full-body 1.5T and 3T scans and features a long-lasting battery designed to deliver up to 15 years of therapy. Learn more
- Bulking agents – One type of bulking agent treatment is called Bulkamid. This is a urethral bulking agent that is used to treat stress urinary incontinence. It is a soft, water-based gel that can be used to restore the natural closing of the urethra. It is safe and effective – 92% of women reported being cured or improved following treatment with Bulkamid. [4] The procedure is a series of 3-4 small injections that take about 10-15 minutes in an outpatient setting under local anesthetic. Bulkamid is clinically proven to deliver symptom relief out to seven years. [5]
- eCoin Therapy – The eCoin® Peripheral Neurostimulator is a small, coin-sized device designed to help treat urge urinary incontinence by delivering targeted stimulation to the tibial nerve, which plays a key role in bladder function. Learn more.
Resources
We are ready to listen, answer your questions, and work with you on a treatment protocol that makes sense for you.
To learn more, contact a provider or one of our locations — or schedule an appointment.