Urinary incontinence should urge women to seek help
Urinary incontinence can bring a woman’s physical and social life to a halt, and yet the average woman will wait up to six years before seeking help to address it.
“There is absolutely hope for women experiencing incontinence,” said William Rush, MD, a urogynecologist with Lifestages Centers for Women. “Our goal is to get a woman back to the place where she can re-engage and enjoy physical and social activities, such as exercising and going out to dinner with friends.”
About half of women in the United States will experience some type of urinary incontinence in their lifetime. Urinary incontinence is when a woman involuntarily loses urine. The condition can occur at any age but is most common after a woman turns 40 to 50 years of age, Dr. Rush said.
“It’s at this age that a woman’s tissues and nerves become much weaker and less responsive,” said Dr. Rush, who practices with Premier Physician Network. “This weakening naturally affects her bladder function.”
A woman’s childbirth experience may play a role in whether she develops urinary incontinence due to strain placed on the muscles and nerves surrounding her urethra, the tube that allows the urine to exit the body. A vaginal birth — especially one that is traumatic in nature or causes tears in the vaginal area — can weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
A woman may experience one of four types of urinary incontinence depending on how her body’s nerves and muscles have been affected.
Stress incontinence: A woman involuntarily loses urine during an activity such as coughing, sneezing or laughing. It also can happen during physical activity, such as exercising in a Zumba class or jumping on a trampoline.
Urge incontinence: The sensation to urinate comes on suddenly and urine is lost before a woman can make it to a restroom. Rush said this is often explained by women through scenarios they have encountered.
“They’ll be eating dinner or watching TV and suddenly feel the urge to urinate, but when they stand up to go to the restroom, they immediately lose urine,” he said. “Or they’re driving home and feel the need to use the restroom, but as they’re waiting for the garage door to open, they realize they’re already losing a small amount of urine.”
Mixed incontinence: This is exactly as the name would imply. It’s when a woman experiences a mix of both stress and urge incontinence. This type is common and affects about 25% of women, he said.
Overflow incontinence:
This occurs when a woman fails to completely empty her bladder when she urinates. Dr. Rush often uses the analogy of a glass of water to explain this type of incontinence to women.
“Imagine a full glass of water where a faucet is constantly dripping water into it, but only a small amount of water is being poured out each time a woman goes to the bathroom,” he said. “If only a quarter of the glass is emptied each time, then it makes it easy to spill over when water is poured into it.”
Women do not need a referral to seek the advice of experts in this area. Rush encourages women to reach out to providers like himself who can conduct a thorough examination and create a game plan through which incontinence can be addressed.
Most cases of incontinence can be addressed by strengthening the pelvic floor through physical therapy. Cases that involve damaged nerves can be addressed with medications. In some cases, surgical procedures may be used to create the best outcome, he said.
To schedule an appointment with a Premier Physician Network provider near you, visit PremierHealth. com/MakeAnAppointment.