Urinary Incontinence

Stress Incontinence

This is the leakage of urine during exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects or performing other body movements that put pressure on the bladder.

Functional Incontinence

This is urine leakage due to a difficulty reaching a restroom in time because of physical conditions, such as arthritis, injury or other disabilities.

Overflow Incontinence

Leakage occurs when the quantity of urine produced exceeds the bladder’s capacity to hold it.

Needing to rush to the restroom and/or losing urine if you do not get to the restroom in time

Urine leakage with movements or exercise

Leakage of urine that prevents activities

Leakage of urine that began or continued after surgery

Leakage of urine that causes embarrassment

Constant feeling of wetness without sensation of urine leakage

Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying

Specific changes in body function that may result from diseases, use of medications and/or the onset of an illness.

Sometimes it is the first and only symptom of a urinary tract infection.

Women are most likely to develop urinary incontinence during pregnancy and after childbirth, or after the hormonal changes of menopause.

Urine test – to check for infection/other causes

Ultrasound – Your doctor will use an ultrasound wand on the outside of your abdomen to take pictures of the kidneys, bladder, and urethra. Your doctor will look for anything unusual that may be causing urinary incontinence.

Bladder stress test – During this test, you will cough or bear down as if pushing during childbirth as your doctor watches for loss of urine.

Cystoscopy – Your doctor inserts a thin tube with a tiny camera into your urethra and bladder to look for damaged tissue. Depending on the type of cystoscopy you need, your doctor may use medicine to numb your skin and urinary organs while you are still awake, or you may be fully sedated.

Urodynamics – Your doctor inserts a thin tube into your bladder and fills your bladder with water. This allows your doctor to measure the pressure in your bladder to see how much fluid your bladder can hold.

Behavioural therapies:

• Bladder training: Teaches people to resist the urge to void and gradually expand the intervals between voiding.
• Toileting assistance: Uses routine or scheduled toileting, habit training schedules and prompted voiding to empty the bladder regularly to prevent leaking.

Diet modifications: Eliminating bladder irritants, such as caffeine, alcohol and citrus fruits.

Pelvic muscle rehabilitation (to improve pelvic muscle tone and prevent leakage):

• Kegel exercises: Regular, daily exercising of pelvic muscles can improve, and even prevent, urinary incontinence.
• Biofeedback: Used with Kegel exercises, biofeedback helps people gain awareness and control of their pelvic muscles.
• Vaginal weight training: Small weights are held within the vagina by tightening the vaginal muscles.
• Pelvic floor electrical stimulation: Mild electrical pulses stimulate muscle contractions.

Anticholinergic medications

Vaginal estrogen

Botox injections into bladder

Urethral bulking agents

Peripheral nerve stimulation

Slings (may be made from synthetic mesh or from your own tissue)

Bladder suspension

Peripheral nerve stimulation