Urinary incontinence affects many women globally but is not a condition you would feel free to discuss openly. However, you do not have to suffer in secret when help is readily available. The McAllen gynecology specialists can help you through a confidential and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment option. Getting to the root of your issue will help your doctor understand the best approach to end your embarrassments and improve the quality of your life. There are several effective treatments for urinary incontinence depending on your condition’s type, underlying cause, and severity. Here is more information.
Behavioral Therapy
When your urinary incontinence is behavioral, your doctor might recommend several techniques to help improve your issue. Your provider might offer bladder training to hold off urine for about ten minutes every time you feel the need to urinate. This will help make the period between your trips longer. They can also teach you double voiding, where you can empty your bladder, especially if your issue is overflow incontinence. You can also be advised to schedule your urine trips rather than waiting for the urge to come and managing your diet and fluid intake.
Exercises
Urinary incontinence can be improved through pelvic floor muscles exercises. This builds up your muscles to hold urine and gives you back control over urination. You might gain more from Kegel exercises if you have stress or urge incontinence. It involves contracting the muscles you would use to hold off urinating and pause for about five seconds and improve to ten seconds over time. If you find it challenging to do it yourself, you can try a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Medicines
If exercise and behavioral therapy will not work for your condition, your doctor might recommend medications to ease your symptoms. Common medications for urinary incontinence include mirabegron and anticholinergics for urge incontinence, alpha-blockers for men with overflow or urge incontinence, and topical estrogen mainly for women. Do not try to treat urinary incontinence medically from home. Have your doctor diagnose your condition and give you the proper medications based on your issue.
Electrical Stimulation
This involves temporarily inserting electrodes into your vagina or rectum to enhance and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. The treatment is gentle and can be more effective if you are enduring urge incontinence and stress incontinence. However, you might need several treatments every month for a while for better results.
Surgery
Surgery becomes an option only when other conservative and minimally invasive treatment options are ineffective in managing urinary incontinence. Common surgical interventions for urinary incontinence include the sling procedure, bladder neck suspension, prolapse surgery, and artificial urinary sphincter. Consult your doctor adequately to understand the nature of your surgery and what you can expect.
Absorbent Pads and Catheters
Sometimes medical interventions may fail to manage your incontinence, but there is still hope. Some products like pads and protective garments can help you ease the discomfort and the awkwardness of urine leakage. You can also use a catheter to empty your bladder every day.
There is a solution for your incontinence, no matter the type and cause. It would help if you had an expert diagnosis to know the right approach best suitable for you. Get in touch with the urinary incontinence specialist at the Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley today for help.
