Incontinence is often associated with aging, however, it affects both men and women of all ages. But did you know that incontinence is twice as common in women and most prevalent in older women? Approximately one-third of women over age 60 suffer some form of incontinence. The experienced specialists at Summit OB/GYN help patients who suffer from this condition by identifying the underlying cause. In most cases, lifestyle changes may be enough to relieve the symptoms of urinary incontinence.
If lifestyle changes are unsuccessful, however, there are medical treatments available to relieve urinary incontinence.
How incontinence treatment works
Medications
- Anticholinergics calm an overactive bladder
- Mirabegron relaxes the bladder, allowing it to hold more urine
- Alpha blockers relax both the bladder neck muscles and muscle fibers in the prostate (for men), making it easier to empty the bladder
- Topical estrogen and MonaLisa Touch® tones and rejuvenates tissues in the urethra and vaginal areas, reducing some of the symptoms of incontinence
Devices and absorbent products
- A small, disposable urethral insert (similar to a tampon) helps prevent leakage during exercise or other activities that may trigger incontinence
- A therapeutic pessary, or stiff ring similar to a diaphragm, supports a prolapsed bladder or uterus
- Catheters help empty the bladder to prevent infection
Surgery
- A sling procedure treats stress incontinence by creating a sling around the urethra and bladder neck using tissue, or synthetic mesh
- A bladder neck suspension procedure lifts the bladder neck back to its normal position
- Prolapse surgery repairs surrounding tissue that supports damaged organs, like the bladder or urethra
Physical therapy
- Physical therapy retrains the bladder to help reduce leakages and accidents while improving urge incontinence.
Dr. Angela Biggs, Dr. Amber Cohn and Dr. Jeffrey Anderson at Summit OB/GYN are here to offer you relief from your specific urinary incontinence issues. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 307-682-6263.