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Things you wanted to know about Female Urinary Stress Incontinence

What is it?

Female Urinary Stress incontinence occurs when the urine is involuntarily released while doing some kind of physical activity which puts pressure on the bladder like.

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Laughing
• Lifting heavy objects
• Bending over.

Causes

Certain factors may also increase your chance of developing Female Urinary Stress incontinence like having weak pelvic muscles. These are the muscles that form the lining of the pelvic like a bowl which controls the release of the urine to the urethra there are various reasons which can make these muscles weak like age, child birth, surgery and injury.

Factors that can aggravate the condition

Food and drinks

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Aerated drinks
• Chocolate
• Artificial sweeteners
• Tobacco or cigarettes

Health Condition

• urinary tract infections (UTI)
• obesity
• regular coughing
• Medicines that boosts urine production
• nerve damage
• excessive urination due to diabetes

Ignorance

Many women due to lack of awareness and embarrassment do not seek medical help which might lead to worsen the situation. It is therefore advisable to consult your doctor if you experience Female Urinary Stress incontinence

Treatments available

The treatment varies from

• Lifestyle modification
• Medications
• Non-surgical treatments
• Surgery

Lifestyle modification

The doctor may suggest some simple lifestyle modification to overcome the issue like frequently urinating so that the chance of leakage reduces. Cutting down on consumption of caffeine, quitting smoking, some dietary changes may be advised. The doctor will guide you with some exercises which need to be followed regularly. Also weight loss plan may be advised so that it reduces the pressure off the stomach, bladder and pelvic organs.

Medications

Based on your condition the doctor will check if you’re unsuitable for surgery or want to avoid having an operation, you may benefit from a medication. This can help increase the muscle tone of the urethra, which should help keep it closed.

Non-surgical treatments

Pelvic floor muscle training

The pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that control the flow of urine as you urinate. Weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary incontinence, so exercising these muscles is often recommended by the doctor.

Bladder training

If you are diagnosed with urge incontinence, one of the first treatments you may be offered is bladder training. Bladder training may also be combined with pelvic floor muscle training if you have mixed urinary incontinence.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a type of therapy that is used to increase awareness of your pelvic floor muscles. The therapy uses small sensors that are placed inside or around the vagina and on the abdomen. The doctor will try certain muscle movements. The sensors record your muscle activity to help you identify the specific muscles of the pelvic floor. This can help identify exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor and improve bladder function.

Surgery

If other treatments for urinary incontinence are not successful or not suitable, surgery or other procedures may be recommended.

Inject-able therapy

The doctor injects a bulking agent into the urethra to thicken the area in order to reduce incontinence.

Tension-free vaginal tape (TVT)

The doctor will place a mesh around the urethra to support it.

Vaginal sling

Doctors place a sling around your urethra to provide more support for it.

Retropubic suspension

This surgery moves the bladder and urethra back into their normal positions

Conclusion

It is highly recommended that once you experience Urinary Stress incontinence you see a doctor immediately so that the early diagnosis may help in resolving the situation easily, rather than letting the condition to worsen.

Shrikhande hospital is a super speciality hospital that deals with Urogynecology with expert doctors having more than 25 years of experience in dealing Female Urinary Stress Incontinence and other female urinary problems. Contact them on (+91) – 8805677600 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Tags: Female urinary problems, Female Urination, Female Urination issues, Frequent Urination, Urinary Stress Incontinence, Women Health