Continence Clinic

419-633-3420

 

Do You Have Urinary Incontinence?

Incontinence is the unwanted (involuntary) leakage of urine. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may have urinary incontinence:
- Do you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise?

- Do you leak urine on the way to the bathroom?

- Do you wake up 2 to 4 times a night to go to the bathroom?

- Do you need to know the locations of bathrooms whenever you travel or go shopping?

- Are you afraid you will leak urine during sex?    

 

 

Treatment

The CHWC Continence Clinic works with patients on an outpatient basis to teach them tools to help restore bladder control without the side effects associated with drug therapy and surgery. Treatment begins with a combination of behavioral therapy and pelvic floor muscle training. Depending on the diagnosis, simple changes in lifestyle, diet, fluid intake, and scheduling can make a difference.

Patients can learn to identify and develop the pelvic floor muscles. Through exercises called “Kegels,” patients can strengthen the muscles around the urethra that control urination. Training sessions may include biofeedback so women learn to identify the correct muscles for doing Kegel exercises. They can actually see a graph on a computer monitor that shows their muscles at work. Treatment may also include electrical stimulation which sends painless electrical signals to the weakened pelvic muscles, causing them to contract effectively.

Normally patients meet with a continence specialist once a week for six to eight weeks to regain bladder control.

 

Resources

For more information on incontinence:
Call 419-633-3420 or visit the following websites:

American Foundation for Urologic Disease - http://www.afud.org

National Association for Continence - http://www.nafc.org

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse - http://www.niddk.nih.gov