Urinary leakage impacts 3 in 4 women in the United States. Though common, urinary incontinence is not normal at any age. Urinary leakage is more common than hypertension, diabetes, and depression. Even though it is so common it is not routinely screened for by many primary care providers. Despite the ability to treat this condition women wait an average of 6.5 years to seek medical advice. Sometimes, very clear-cut events such as pregnancy, vaginal delivery, surgery, radiation or accidental injury can lead to urinary incontinence while other times, the causes are not so clear. In many cases, there is no obvious underlying reason for why problems with bladder control occur. There is also a family link. Some women are born with weaker pelvic floors. If your mother or sister have bladder control problems, you may be at an increased risk. Bladder leakage is expensive, women with recurrent leakage spend $1000 or more a year on pads or other absorbent products.
There are many types of leakage that women can experience but the two most common are Stress urinary leakage and Urge urinary leakage. In stress urinary leakage pressure (“stress”) applied to the pelvic floor when a person coughs, sneezes, jumps, laughs, with jogging, ect causes a small amount of leakage to occur. This can become worse if the bladder is full. In contrast Urge urinary leakage occurs with a very strong urge to urinate. A person with a strong urge will try to find a bathroom and does not make it. This is more commonly a large volume of urine. A woman may have one, both types of leakage, or a different problem altogether which is why it is important to be seen by a medical provider who can correctly diagnose you.
The treatments for urinary leakage can range from simple lifestyle modifications, to physical therapy, to treating vaginal atrophy, to surgical management. At UroGynecology Specialty Center we offer and discuss all of the options. UroGynecology Specialty Center customizes patient care for each individual.
If you or someone you love is dealing with this do not wait to contact us. Doctors Steinberg and Meade are fellowship trained in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and Board Certified experts. Melissa Edington, our board certified Nurse Practitioner, is exclusively trained in female health and always readily available if a patient desires a female provider. There is no reason to continue to leak your dollars away.
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