How (And Why) to Improve Your Sleep Habits During Pregnancy
Poor sleep doesn’t just make you feel tired — it compromises your health during pregnancy. Here’s how you can sleep better for yourself and your baby.
The Different Types of Urinary Incontinence
While urinary incontinence affects up to 50% of women over 50, most suffer in silence because they assume it’s an inevitable part of aging. But the condition can affect women of all ages and develop from a range of issues.
At any age, urinary incontinence can interfere with normal routines and affect your quality of life. Trying to address symptoms by reducing the amount of water you drink or avoiding activities like exercising can affect other aspects of your health.
The first step in treating urinary incontinence is determining which type of incontinence you have, since that affects the type of treatment you require.
At The Association for Women’s Health Care, our OB/GYNs understand the impact that urinary incontinence can have on your daily life. Our team of urinary incontinence specialists provides expert diagnosis and evaluation of your condition to determine an appropriate course of treatment.
With an accurate diagnosis, you can pursue the types of treatments that can help control your condition and allow you to live a normal lifestyle.
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence occurs when your pelvic floor muscles weaken as a result of childbearing, hormonal changes, obesity, or aging. These weak muscles put additional pressure or stress on the bladder and urethra during certain activities. Leaking can range from a few drops to much more.
Stress incontinence is the most common variation of incontinence in women. If you have stress incontinence, you might notice urine leakage with laughing, coughing, sneezing, or forms of physical exertion like lifting heavy objects.
Urge incontinence
Urge incontinence, also known as overactive bladder, occurs when your brain sends faulty messages to your bladder. These messages cause your bladder muscles to contract at the wrong time, creating a strong urge to urinate even when your bladder isn’t full.
The sensation that urge incontinence causes may feel so intense that you’re unable to hold your urine long enough to get to a bathroom. The condition can interfere with normal activities since it requires that you have constant access to a bathroom.
Urge incontinence can occur as a separate condition, or it may be a symptom of other medical issues or diseases such as infections, diabetes, or neurological damage.
Mixed incontinence
Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence. The condition occurs due to causes of both types of incontinence.
Symptoms of mixed incontinence typically involve involuntary leakage due to urgency as well as sneezing, coughing, or exertion, with the urge component having the greatest impact on daily life.
Overflow incontinence
Overflow incontinence occurs as a result of weak bladder muscles or a blockage. When your bladder muscles are unable to completely empty your bladder, you retain urine in your bladder and it becomes too full. Involuntary urine leakage results.
The condition can result from medications, tumors or blockages (such as bladder and kidney stones), diseases, or loss of the sensation that determines bladder fullness.
Functional incontinence
Functional incontinence is when physical limitations prevent you from reaching the toilet in time when you have the urge to urinate. The condition is typically related to cognitive and mobility issues that aren’t associated with the urinary system.
Immobility, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury are common causes of functional incontinence.
Treating urinary incontinence
You can get relief from symptoms of urinary incontinence and improve your quality of life with appropriate treatment. Depending on the type of urinary incontinence you experience, you may benefit from one or more of the following treatments:
- Kegel exercises
- Medication
- Weight loss to reduce pressure on your bladder
- Voiding on schedule to train your bladder to hold urine longer
- Vaginal pessary, an internal device that supports your bladder
- Bulking agent injections to increase the size of your urethra’s lining
- Botox® injections to relax bladder muscles
- Neuromodulation devices that stimulate the nerves to your bladder
- Insertion of a sling to support your urethra and remove pressure on your bladder.
With professional diagnosis and appropriate treatment, you can improve symptoms of urinary incontinence and resume a normal lifestyle. Schedule an appointment online or call our Chicago or Northbrook, Illinois, office to arrange a consultation.
You Might Also Enjoy...
When to Resume Birth Control After Pregnancy
Whether you’re finished having children for good or just for now, you might wonder how long to wait before resuming birth control after pregnancy. Determine your best timeline using this brief guide.
4 Things to Know About Fibroids and Pregnancy
As an expecting mom, you want to be careful, especially when you have a condition like fibroids that may affect your or your baby’s well-being. Review the facts you should know about uterine fibroids and pregnancy.
How Losing Weight Can Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant
Most people are aware that losing weight can benefit their health, but did you know it can improve your fertility too? If you want to get pregnant in the new year, read this blog.
Here's What To Expect at Your Prenatal Screening
Prenatal screening is the first of endless steps of getting to know your baby. Find out what these tests entail and the details you’ll learn from them.
Considering Surgery for Infertility? Here’s What You Should Know
Surgery might sound like a big step in treating infertility, but modern techniques simplify the process. Here’s everything you need to know about managing infertility with minimally invasive surgery.