Are there times when you’re going about your day-to-day activities and you suddenly have to use the restroom? Of course, this is normal if you had a lot to drink or have been holding it for a while.
For some people, this urge to urinate may come out of nowhere. The condition is called urge incontinence. People with this condition may get a sudden urge to urinate and may even release a bit of urine on accident. Urge incontinence may be worsened do to the following:
- Drinking liquids
- Hearing the rush of water
- Some prescription medications
- Stress and anxiety
- Another medical condition
This condition typically happens to adult women, as they are more likely to develop the condition if they recently gave birth or are currently pregnant. However, women who have recently had pelvic surgery or cesarean surgery are at risk of urge incontinence as well. However, it is possible for men to be develop the condition. Men are more likely to experience it if they have a prostate condition or recently underwent prostate surgery. If none of these conditions apply, the Affiliated Urologists team will not necessarily rule out urge incontinence as a diagnosis. Other factors can cause the condition as well. For example, the bladder contracts its muscles because the brain tells it to. If a nerve is damaged, it may be sending an incorrect signal to the bladder from the brain.
Our team of skilled physician can help patients with their urge incontinence through a variety of treatments. They can begin the path to treatment providing medication and leakage protection products. Using anticholinergics and/or antidepressants, the patient can manage the strong urge to urinate by treating his or her bladder. We believe that the key to treating incontinence is with a wide scope of treatments at the same time. For this reason, we suggest performing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and avoiding foods that irritate the bladder in addition to taking medication. This way, patients may be able to see faster results and adopt new lifestyle changes that could provide longer lasting results.
Sometimes, patients will need more than just medication and a proper diet to combat the condition. Our physicians can administer injections into the bladder muscle or perform surgery. The surgical procedures offered at Affiliated Urologists include the suburethral sling procedure, InterStim, bladder augmentation, and artificial urinary sphincter placement surgery. Your physician can talk to you about which surgery is best for you and how the procedure can help treat your urge incontinence.
Affiliated Urologists is an award-winning practice recognized both locally and nationally that has provided service to patients in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and surrounding communities in the Valley, for over 40 years. The physicians emphasize top-of-the-line comprehensive urological care and strive to deliver the highest outcomes for patient satisfaction. To make an appointment, call 602-264-0608 or click here for instructions on scheduling an appointment.
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
