Urinary Incontinence Specialist

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a condition in which you accidentally urinate sometimes. Whether your accidental urine loss is just a small amount or your whole bladder, it’s a persistent and embarrassing problem for millions of men and women. 

Problems with either muscles or nerves cause the most common types of urinary incontinence, while a urinary blockage is often the cause of another type. 

What kind of urinary incontinence do I have?

The symptoms of your urinary incontinence can identify which type you have.

Stress urinary incontinence

The main symptom of stress incontinence is accidental urine loss when you’re performing a strenuous activity or making sudden moves. You might leak urine when you cough or sneeze. You don’t feel like you need to urinate, so it’s usually a complete surprise when you leak urine. This type of urinary incontinence typically develops when your urethral sphincter and pelvic floor muscles weaken over time.

Urge urinary incontinence

Urge urinary incontinence is often referred to as overactive bladder. It causes a very sudden and urgent need to urinate, followed by bladder leakage. There are many possible causes of urge incontinence and often there’s no clear reason for it.

Overflow incontinence

Overflow incontinence is an uncommon kind of urinary incontinence in which your bladder never properly empties because something blocks your urethra. This leads to accidental urination. In men, overflow incontinence is often tied to an enlarged prostate, but other possible causes include kidney stones and nerve damage.

If you have symptoms of two or more kinds of urinary incontinence, it’s called mixed incontinence. 

How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?

Dr. Rodriguez performs a physical exam and analyzes your symptoms, and then does diagnostic testing like urinalysis, urodynamic testing, and blood tests. He may need to perform a cystoscopy, a minimally invasive test that allows him to view the inside of your bladder, to check for obstructions like kidney stones. 

How can I treat urinary incontinence?

Treatment depends on your kind of urinary incontinence and your symptoms. Your treatment may include:

• Pelvic floor exercises
• Weight loss
• Lifestyle changes
• Oral medication
• Pessary (for women)
• Electrical stimulation
• Neuromodulator injections

In the most severe cases, you might need surgery. Dr. Rodriguez can typically help you overcome urinary incontinence without invasive treatments.

Dr. Rodriguez can help you feel confident again, so reach out for urinary incontinence treatment at RJM Medical Services by phone or through online scheduling now.