Urinary Incontinence

Alexandria Urology Associates

Urologists located in Alexandria, LA & Oakdale, LA

Urinary incontinence is an embarrassing problem for men and women. At Alexandria Urology Associates in Oakdale and Alexandria, Louisiana, James Richey, MD, and Lance Templeton, MD, evaluate your complaints that could range from losing a few drops of urine to a complete inability to control your urination. They also offer treatment to help you regain bladder control and feel confident doing daily activity. Call the office nearest you or book online to get treatment for your urinary incontinence.

Urinary Incontinence Q & A

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is diagnosed when you’re unable to control your bladder. The condition becomes much more common as you age and is particularly common in women. If urinary incontinence affects you on a regular basis, the team at Alexandria Urology Associates can help.

What are the different types of urinary incontinence?

Incontinence can occur in many forms, including:

Stress incontinence

When you experience stress on your bladder or urinary tract, it can cause urine to leak. Stress comes when you laugh, sneeze, exercise, or strain to lift something heavy.

Urge incontinence

Urge incontinence is the uncontrollable and sudden urge to use the restroom. You often experience a quick release of urine following the urge. You can feel these urges several times throughout the night, making sleep impossible.

Overflow incontinence

If your bladder can’t empty completely, you can experience a frequent or constant dripping of urine.

Mixed incontinence

Mixed incontinence is when you experience a mix of more than one type of incontinence at once.

What lifestyle changes help with incontinence?

Certain foods, beverages, and medications can trigger incontinence. These include:

Caffeine
Carbonated drinks
Alcohol
Artificial sweeteners
Chocolate
Chili peppers
Citrus fruits

Medications like sedatives, muscle relaxants, and heart disease drugs can cause incontinence as can taking large doses of vitamin C.

Avoiding these foods can help ease some cases of incontinence. You might also benefit from exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor. The doctors will also evaluate you for a urinary tract infection, which can cause temporary incontinence.

How is incontinence treated?

How the doctors at Alexandria Urology Associates treat urinary incontinence depends on your symptoms, cause, and severity.

Medications are sometimes prescribed to relax your bladder so it’s able to hold more urine. Electrical stimulation is another way to activate the muscles of the pelvic floor. Certain implants like a pessary can also help control the flow of urine. The team could refer you to physical therapy to help improve the strength and tone of your pelvic floor muscles.

To learn more about urinary incontinence and how to relieve embarrassing, inconvenient episodes, call Alexandria Urology Associates or schedule an appointment online.

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