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Urinary Incontinence
The Effects, Treatment and Causes of Overactive Bladder
By Donna Smith
Dr. Siddiqui says there are many options available for patients. "Medications can be used to help urge incontinence, and minimally invasive, vaginal surgeries can be performed for stress incontinence," she says. "For mixed incontinence, we try to use medications first to see how much the patient improves. The majority of patients are candidates for these options, but many don't realize there is a relatively simple treatment available."
For women with mild to moderate incontinence, Dr. Elser says surgery is often the last resort. "However, for women with more severe degrees of incontinence, surgery can be life-saving in terms of quality of life," she says. "Surgery is a common treatment for stress urinary incontinence. Over the past few years, surgical technique has evolved and procedures are now done in the outpatient setting, under local anesthetic with a cure rate of 80 percent or greater, with less risk of complications than in years past. Newer procedures are now available for helping women with severe urge incontinence."
With most things in life, keeping a positive attitude is an important part of managing incontinence. "If you let it get you down it is sure to do so, but if you recognize all the ways that you can still continue with your life in exactly the same way, you will see that this is really true," says Dr. Susan S. Bartell, a licensed psychologist from Port Washington, N.Y. "It is normal to have bad days and to feel that being incontinent is a great focus in your life. But by recognizing these feelings and talking to people who can help you (like doctors) and sharing your feelings with those who love you (like a spouse or close friend) you will find that you don't have to carry the burden by yourself."
