You don’t have to live with urinary incontinence and loss of bladder control

At Athens ObGyn, our physicians take urinary incontinence and loss of bladder control seriously. We understand how bladder issues affect your quality of life and can cause embarrassment and pain.

You may be surprised to learn that urinary problems are very common, affecting one in four women. So if you experience involuntary leakage of urine while sneezing, laughing or exercising, you are not alone. It’s happening to your family, friends and neighbors, but women don’t always talk about it. Our compassionate staff encourages you to talk to us so we can diagnose and treat the problem.

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a condition that causes loss of bladder control and urine leakage. Here are some common symptoms you may experience.

• Leaking urine when you laugh, cough, exercise or perform other activities
• Feeling a strong urge to urinate
• Frequent urination
• Waking up at night to urinate
• Pain during urination
• Urine leakage while sleeping

What causes the loss of bladder control?

Several issues can cause problems with incontinence. You can develop short-term incontinence when you have a urinary tract infection or are pregnant. Certain medications and beverages also cause temporary problems. Long-term or chronic incontinence has a variety of causes.

• Pelvic floor disorders that weaken the connective tissues and muscles of the pelvic floor
• Menopause
• Medical issues like a stroke, diabetes or multiple sclerosis
• Chronic constipation
• Being overweight or obese

What treatments are available?

From lifestyle changes to surgery, we offer treatments that can help you with your urinary problems. Simply making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, managing your intake of fluids and bladder training, can help decrease your urine leakage. Depending on your issue, you may benefit from the following treatments.

• Physical therapy with therapists who are specially trained in pelvic floor disorders
• Pessaries, or devices that you insert into the vagina to help with pelvic floor problems
• Medications that help control leakage and the urge to urinate frequently
• Nerve stimulation procedures
• Surgery

The most important thing to understand is that treatment is available. The physicians at Athens ObGyn can help you overcome urinary incontinence and loss of bladder control, but we can’t help you if you don’t talk to us about the problem. Contact us for an appointment and begin your journey to a better quality of life.