How To Deal With Incontinence

Incontinence can be as concerning as it is embarrassing. Whether it is due to giving birth, injury, prostatitis, old age or even stress, urinary incontinence does not have to define your life. There are several ways to treat urinary incontinence. 

See An Expert

Urologists are well-versed in urinary incontinence, as many as about 13 million Americans deal with the condition.

With technological advances such as urology lasers, many different treatment options are available for patients, offering minimally invasive options. 

There are also many different kinds of lasers, such as the semiconductor diode laser, the potassium-titanyl phosphate crystal laser, the ruby laser and more, which have different applications within a clinic. 

Research also indicates that laser equipment will become a viable component in urology practice due to factors such as better operational safety, lower maintenance and purchase costs, and heightened competition among laser manufacturers.

Exercise Regularly

You may have heard of them – kegels, exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. These can also help make urinating more regular. 

To do them, you can tighten your pelvic floor muscles for a few seconds, hold, then release them. A few repetitions a few times a day every day can help. The recommended workout is at least three sets of 10 repetitions daily. 

Since it can be confusing to pinpoint your pelvic floor muscles, you can check with a healthcare provider or utilize biofeedback to make sure you are doing them correctly. 

Try Different Medications

If exercise isn’t for you, there are also various medications available for urinary incontinence. Some of the more commonly used drugs include alpha blockers, anticholinergics, topical estrogen and mirabegron, which is used for the treatment of urge incontinence.

These different drugs work by varying methods, for example by calming overactive bladders or by relaxing bladder neck muscles to help empty the bladder. 

Treatment is not limited to the above three listed. Other treatments for elderly incontinence include pads, bladder training, behavior therapy, diet management, medical services and even surgery. See a urologist to discuss what may be the best treatment option for you.