Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence may affect your day-to-day activities and feel embarrassing, but don’t hesitate to talk to board-certified urologist Binod Sinha, MD, FACS. At Urology Care of Central New Jersey, conveniently located in Edison, New Jersey, Dr. Sinha offers simple and effective treatments that reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Call the practice or schedule an appointment online today for expert diagnosis and procedures to resolve your symptoms in a comfortable environment
Urinary Incontinence Q & A
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is involuntary urination. The condition develops when you lose full or partial control of your urinary sphincter. The primary symptom of incontinence is leaking urine unintentionally. For example, you may pass a little urine when you laugh or sneeze.
Urinary incontinence affects men, women, and children, although women have a significantly higher risk of developing incontinence issues than men.
There are several types of incontinence including:
Stress incontinence
In this type of incontinence, the muscles and tissues of your pelvic floor weaken and are less able to support your bladder. As a result, increased pressure on your bladder, such as during coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercise, or lifting heavy objects, forces urine from your bladder.
Urge incontinence
This type is also called overactive bladder (OAB). In this type, you have sudden, intense, and uncontrollable urges to urinate.
Overflow incontinence
In this type of incontinence, you experience constant or frequent dribbling of urine as your bladder is never completely empty.
Functional incontinence
Functional incontinence is involuntary urination due to mental or physical diseases such as dementia or arthritis.
You may have more than one type of urine incontinence problem.
What are the causes of urinary incontinence?
Wide-ranging factors can contribute to urinary incontinence including:
- Urinary tract infections that irritate the bladder and cause constipation
- Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and any surgery involving the reproductive system
- Enlarged prostate and prostate cancer
- Aging
- Neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, stroke, or spinal injury
- Muscle spasm around the bladder
Certain foods, drinks, and medications can also trigger urinary incontinence symptoms.
How is urinary incontinence treated?
Dr. Sinha provides comprehensive consultations to determine the type and severity of your incontinence disorder. He works with you to create a treatment plan to tackle your symptoms. Some frequently applied therapies include:
- Pelvic floor exercises such as Kegel movements
- Pessary vaginal inserts
- Drugs such as an alpha-blocker
- Botox® injections for urge incontinence
- Surgical procedures and devices like bladder slings
Dr. Sinha discusses all the potential treatment options available with you and fully answers your questions to enable you to make an educated decision about your health care.
If you’re living with urinary incontinence symptoms, call Urology Care of Central New Jersey or schedule a consultation online for effective treatment to relieve your symptoms.