What is Incontinence & How is it Treated at The Charlotte Center for Pelvic Health?
Female incontinence is a common condition faced by many women as they age or after child birth. Although urinary incontinence occurs more often as women age, many younger women also experience symptoms of incontinence. Bladder leaks vary in levels of severity and can significantly impact your lifestyle by making you afraid to cough, sneeze or even laugh.
Fortunately incontinence is a treatable condition. The Charlotte Center for Pelvic Health uses cutting-edge technologies and treatments to eliminate symptoms of incontinence.
The Charlotte Center for Pelvic Health provides treatment for urinary incontinence at our office in Cornelius. Dr. John Hettiarachchi has over 20 years of experience treating all types of incontinence. Learn more about incontinence and call (704) 775-8464 to schedule your appointment today.
Possible Treatments for Urinary Incontinence
Speak with one of our providers to see which treatment is best for you.
What Causes Female Urinary Incontinence?
Loss of Urinary control or function can be caused by a number of factors. Its root cause lies in the muscles that control the flow of your urine. If your bladder contracts without warning, or your sphincter muscles can no longer hold back the flow of urine, you may urinate without intending to.
Common causes of female incontinence include:
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Menopause
- Urinary tract infections
- Constipation
- Certain neurological disorders.
Risk factors, such as gender, weight and other conditions, do not generally cause urinary incontinence, but they can make it worse.
Female incontinence can also temporarily often caused by consuming too much alcohol or caffeine or using certain medications and sedatives.
Common Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence
Some of the symptoms of incontinence may include:
- Leakage when coughing or laughing or when other pressure is exerted on the bladder
- Sudden or intense urges to urinate
- Failure to control urination
- A feeling that the bladder doesn’t entirely empty
Different Types of Urinary Incontinence
It is important to know the different types of incontinence before so that you can appropriately treat the root cause. These include:
Stress Incontinence
Urine leaks with pressure on bladder through coughing, sneezing, exercising, laughing or other functions that put stress on the bladder.
Urge Incontinence
Sudden, intense urge to urinate with urine leakage or frequent urges to urinate, caused by bladder spasms due to a variety of factors.
Mixed Incontinence
Mixed incontinence is the most common form. Patients exhibit symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence.
Overflow Incontinence
Small amounts of urine involuntarily leaks because the patient is unable to sense when the bladder is full.
Functional Incontinence
There is no issue with the urinary system, but the patient is unable to make it to the bathroom in time due to mental or physical limitations.
Transient Incontinence
This form of incontinence is temporary and caused by a short lived condition or treatment for a condition.
Total Incontinence
Total incontinence is the complete loss of urinary control due to a severe physical injury or abnormality.
Treatment Options at The Charlotte Center for Pelvic Health
Dr. John Hettiarachchi will provide a detailed treatment plan based on your individual symptoms. Learn more about the most common treatments provided by Dr. Hettiarachchi.
Emsella
The Emsella treatment is completely non-surgical and non-invasive. All you need to do is sit on the Emsella chair. It's that simple. In less time than it takes to watch your favorite sitcom, you could make a 95% improvement in your urinary incontinence. You can even watch the sitcom while you receive the treatment.
MonaLisa Touch
MonaLisa Touch is a painless and minimally invasive laser treatment for vaginal revitalization. By gently acting on tissue of the vaginal mucosa, the laser stimulates the production of collagen, improving the functionality of the treated area, restoring the proper trophic balance to the mucous membrane.
Ultra Femme 360
The Ultra Femme 360™ procedure provides the quickest non-invasive vaginal therapy available. Ultra Femme 360™ is an effective treatment for vaginal laxity, painful intercourse and overactive bladder.
ThermiVa
ThermiVa vaginal therapy treatments use radiofrequency energy to gently heat tissue to rejuvenate collagen, without discomfort or downtime. Women who have had previous surgeries, including certain mesh slings, can safely be treated with ThermiVa.
Viveve
The Viveve Treatment (formerly known as Geneveve) is a clinically-proven, single-session radio frequency vaginal treatment that safely and comfortably rejuvenates tissue and improves its responsiveness. Controlled-cooling protects the tissue surfaces from any damage and impacts the resistance of the epithelial layer which allows for greater penetration of the RF energy.
O-Shot
The O-Shot is a non-surgical in office treatment for sexual and cosmetic rejuvenation of the vagina. The O-Shot uses Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to effectively treat conditions like vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence.
Interstim
InterStim electrical stimulation sends electrical pulses to the sacral nerve, which plays a key role in the filling and emptying of the bladder. This treatment is carried out by a small device that is implanted under the skin in the buttocks.