Urinary Incontinence
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Corpus Christi Women's Clinic
Board Certified OB-GYN & Advanced Nurse Practitioners located in Corpus Christi, TX
If you cross or squeeze your legs when you laugh, cough, or jump, or if you’ve started wearing mini pads every day because you dribble urine, you have a condition called urinary incontinence. The team of board-certified OB-GYNs and advanced nurse practitioners help you enjoy life without worry or embarrassment by treating incontinence at Corpus Christi Women's Clinic in Corpus Christi, Texas. There is no reason to silently suffer. To set up an incontinence consultation, call the friendly office, or make an appointment online.
Urinary Incontinence Q & A
What is incontinence?
Incontinence is the inability to hold in urine. About 10% of American women under the age of 65 and 35% over 65 have urinary incontinence. The types of incontinence are:
Stress incontinence
Pressure on the bladder when you run, jump, cough, laugh, or sneeze causes you to leak urine. This happens because your urethral sphincter muscles are too weak to hold the urine back.
Urge incontinence
You have a strong, persistent urge to urinate many times a day. There are instances when you may not make it to the bathroom on time. Urge incontinence is sometimes called overactive bladder.
Overflow incontinence
You constantly dribble small amounts of urine. You also may not be able to empty your bladder completely.
Functional incontinence
Arthritis or other health condition impairs your ability to get to the bathroom on time.
Many women have more than one type of incontinence. This is called mixed incontinence.
Why do I have incontinence?
Pregnancy and childbirth may weaken your urogenital muscles so that you can’t hold back your urine anymore. Incontinence commonly impacts women in their perimenopausal and menopausal years. As you age, all of your tissues — including those in your bladder and the muscles that control urine flow — lose their strength and resilience.
You’re more likely to develop incontinence if you’re overweight or obese because the excess weight puts pressure on your bladder. Nerve damage from a medical condition, such as diabetes, or post-surgical complications, can also cause incontinence. Medications, infections, and caffeine may weaken your urogenital muscles.
Is incontinence serious?
Incontinence is one of the first indicators that your urogenital system is not as healthy as it should be.
You might also curtail your social life to avoid being embarrassed by sudden urges or leaks. There is an increased risk of depression and bone fractures with incontinence.
How can I treat incontinence?
Based on the reasons behind your incontinence, the team at Corpus Christi Women's Clinic custom designs a treatment plan. Personalized recommendations may include:
- Surgery
- Medications
- Working with a Pelvic Floor Specialist
- Kegel exercises
- Bladder training
- Dietary changes
- Supervised weight loss
- Smoking cessation
To find out how to strengthen the bladder, and avoid incontinence, schedule an appointment with Corpus Christi Women's Clinic by phone or online.
