You might be embarrassed and overwhelmed by urinary incontinence, but fortunately, the skillful women’s health providers of RPW Obstetrics and Gynecology have solutions. At their five locations in Elmhurst, Addison, Westchester, Oak Park, and Hinsdale, Illinois, the knowledgeable team provides treatments like medications and healthy lifestyle changes specially tailored to suit your individual needs Strengthen and regain control over your urinary system. Call your nearest office or book an appointment online today.
Urinary incontinence involves the uncontrollable leaking of urine. It’s usually the symptom of an underlying medical condition, such as pelvic organ prolapse, when the muscles and tissues supporting the pelvic organs become weak or loose.
Your brain and your bladder control urinary functioning. Your bladder stores urine and your surrounding pelvic muscles securely hold your bladder in place. Sphincter muscles are the muscles near your urethra — the tube that transports urine out of your body.
The sphincter muscles help prevent urine from leaking through. Your brain communicates with your bladder to contract your bladder muscles and open your sphincter muscles when you’re ready to urinate.
With urinary incontinence, these muscles and the surrounding tissues are often weakened and aren’t functioning properly.
You might have one of the four different types of incontinence: stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, mixed incontinence, and overflow incontinence.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) usually occurs due to weakened and stretched pelvic muscles that allow urine to pass through. It is often associated with pregnancy and childbirth. During menopause, the lack of female reproductive hormones can also weaken the bladder muscles and the lining of the urethra and lead to stress urinary incontinence.
Overactive bladder (OAB) involves a frequent, uncontrollable, and rapid urge to urinate. OAB typically happens when your brain is communicating and instructing your bladder to empty even when it isn’t full. OAB might also be the result of overactive bladder muscles. Overactive bladder can also be related to the hormonal fluctuations of menopause or pregnancy.
Mixed incontinence refers to a combination of both stress incontinence and overactive bladder.
Overflow incontinence happens when your bladder becomes full and can’t empty or when your body produces more urine than your bladder can hold.
RPW Obstetrics and Gynecology has valuable treatments for incontinence, such as medications, pelvic muscle exercises, and healthy lifestyle changes like nutrition. You may also benefit from:
Bladder suspension is a procedure that typically involves the use of sutures to add support to the bladder neck and urethra.
Tension-free vaginal taping (TVT) is a minimally invasive procedure where your physician carefully places a small piece of polypropylene mesh tape around the pubic bones under your urethra to help close the urethra.
In some cases, urinary incontinence in women can be due to declining levels of the estrogen female reproductive hormone that can lead to thinning of the tissues, urethral atrophy, and a lack of bladder control.
The RPW Obstetrics and Gynecology team of providers offer hormone therapy to relieve incontinence symptoms and restore hormonal balance.
Your physician might also recommend certain medications or effective procedures that usually involve laser technology or surgery to prompt cell regeneration and address the physiological changes that affect the vaginal canal, wall, and pelvic floor.
Urinary incontinence no longer has to play a dominating role in your daily life when RPW Obstetrics and Gynecology has solutions. Call or schedule online today.
