Causes of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Women are twice as likely to suffer from stress incontinence than men. In most cases, this is because of childbirth. During some births, muscle and tissue damage can occur to the pelvic floor.

Common Symptoms of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Most patients with stress incontinence tend to lose bladder control during physical activity. In some cases, however, bladder leakage can occur from pressure applied to the bladder while in a sitting or standing position. Most commonly, leakage occurs when:

• Exercising or doing heavy lifting. This can include walking, running, jumping, etc.
• Laughing. Laughing can cause muscles to contract and for a person's weight to shift, which may put pressure on the bladder.
• Sneezing. The sudden and forceful body movements caused by sneezing may cause a person with stress incontinence to leak urine.
• Sexual Intercourse. Engaging in sexual intercourse can cause pressure against the abdomen.

Testing for Stress Incontinence

For most cases of stress incontinence, the issue is fairly easy to diagnose and may not require any tests. But, some tests may be taken to pinpoint the cause of incontinence if mixed symptoms are experienced. These tests include:

• Urine Volume Test. After urinating, the doctor will determine the amount of leftover urine in the bladder.
• Bladder Pressure Test. The doctor will slowly fill the bladder with warm water and use a pressure sensor to measure changes in the patient's bladder pressure.
• Bladder Examination. A cystoscope, a small device that can provide images to the doctor, will be inserted into the bladder so that the physician can examine the bladder and urethra.

Stress Incontinence Treatment

The first steps to treating stress urinary incontinence are often behavior therapies such as pelvic floor muscle exercises, dietary adjustments, lifestyle changes, and bladder training. There aren't currently any approved medications to treat stress incontinence.

Additional 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.