Women’s Health: Urinary Incontinence

Unlike most urological issues, urinary incontinence is a symptom instead of a disease or medical condition. Women make up more than half of the 13 million people who suffer from urinary incontinence in the United States. The main factors that contribute to the large discrepancy between sexes are childbirth, menopause and the anatomical structure of the female urinary tract.

Signs and Contributing Factors

Urinary incontinence is the accidental or uncontrolled release of urine.

Women suffer from two kinds of urinary incontinence:

• Stress Incontinence: Women will encounter urinary incontinence heavy laughter, a cough or sneeze, exercise, or other sharp and sudden movements. It can also be caused when pressure is placed on the bladder. This is the most common bladder problem faced by women.
• Urge Incontinence: Women suffering from urge incontinence will experience a sudden urge to urinate and be unable to get to a bathroom in time. Urge incontinence can even happen when very little water is in the bladder, and some women will sense no warning before experiencing urine loss.

Next Steps and Diagnosis

Since urinary incontinence is a symptom of other urological problems, the best way to treat incontinence is to treat the main problem. Women suffering from incontinence are urged to contact their gynecologist or urologist in order to set up an appointment. From there, the provider will attempt to diagnose and determine what is causing the incontinence and then be able to provide treatment.

Common causes for incontinence are urinary tract infections and constipation – if patients have recently experienced either of these issues, they should notify their provider as soon as possible.

If you are suffering from urinary incontinence to a point where it limits your lifestyle, or you are worried about larger urological health issues due to incontinence, Associated Urologists of North Carolina offers personalized care to each and every one of our patients. You will meet and form a relationship with one of our board certified specialists who will then map out the best treatment plan for you. Our main branch and administrative office is located at 3821 Ed Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612 and can be reached at 919-758-8677. All eight of our clinics, conveniently located throughout the region to serve our patients, can be found on our contact page.