It is often assumed that urinary incontinence is a sign of aging. While it is tempting to believe this to be the case, it turns out that in most cases, it is simply a sign of weak pelvic floor muscles. What this means is that urinary incontinence can strike at virtually any age. If your pelvic floor muscles go weak, then you will start to see signs of urinary incontinence beginning. These signs are usually noticed as stress incontinence that manifests as minor leaking due to sneezing or vigorous activity. Fortunately, the majority of cases, even in elderly adults, can be easily reversed.
By far, the most effective approach to reversing urinary incontinence is to strengthen your weakened pelvic floor muscles. This can sometimes be done through a series of exercises that work by identifying the muscle that is used when you stop urinating. But this method is ineffective for a lot of people.
If you have stress incontinence, due to sneezing, laughing or coughing, then you may benefit from reducing your overall liquid intake. While it is good to drink a sufficient amount of liquids each day, this can be a problem for people with stress incontinence.
Urge incontinence occurs when you get a chronic urge to urinate. It can be an annoying problem that is disrupting your daily routine. By retraining your bladder to wait longer and longer between bathroom trips, you will be counteracting the sensation of urge incontinence and retraining your body to not be so spastic in its urging you to release urine.
While most cases of urinary incontinence can be easily resolved, there are some situations where injury or a defective urinary system is responsible for the condition. In these cases, treatment will be more involved.
The good news is we have effective treatments available at Fort Worth Center for Pelvic Medicine. Contact us today to book a consultation at our office in Fort Worth, TX.