There are many treatments a patient and doctor may contemplate for a urinary incontinence diagnosis. They range from bladder training to surgery. The treatment a patient settles on may depend on a number of factors, including how severe the condition is, the reason the person is incontinent, and any other health problems that may affect treatment. In some cases, doctors do not recommend one treatment over another. Instead, they may use a combination of treatments to help those dealing with this condition.
Bladder training is one method a doctor may recommend for urinary incontinence treatment. This involves having the patient practice holding his urine after he feels the need to use the bathroom. At first, the patient may delay emptying his bladder for just a few minutes each time he feels the urge. Eventually, the patient may work up to being able to delay bathroom trips for a few hours at a time.
In some cases, bladder training involves scheduling trips to the bathroom. If a person uses this method of treatment, he bases his bathroom trips on the time, going based on a carefully planned schedule. He does not wait until he feels the urge to go, but attempts to empty his bladder even if he’s not sure it’s necessary. With this type of bladder training, a person may have a scheduled visit to the bathroom every two to four hours.
Sometimes physical exercises are used as urinary incontinence treatment. In such a case, a person may perform special exercises aimed at making the muscles that control urination stronger. For example, a person may do Kegel exercises to work the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Some patients may take medication in an effort to treat urinary incontinence. For example, a patient may take a prescription medication by mouth in order to help an overactive bladder to be calmer. Females may use hormonal creams to help restore related body tissues to a stronger, bladder-supportive state. In some cases, a doctor may even prescribe antidepressants to treat urge and stress incontinence. Urge incontinence is marked by a strong urge to urinate followed by the loss of bladder control, while stress incontinence occurs when the bladder is physically stressed, such as by a sneeze or a laugh.
In severe cases in which other types of urinary incontinence treatment have failed, a person may undergo surgery to treat the condition. For example, a doctor may place a device around the bladder to keep it closed until the patient is ready to use the bathroom. At that point, the person pushes an implant placed under his skin to release the pressure and allow him to urinate. There are many other types of urinary incontinence surgery patients may consider as well.
