Urinary Incontinence

What is urinary incontinence?

When you urinate, muscles in the wall of your bladder contract, which forces urine to come out through your urethra. At the same time, your sphincter muscles surrounding your urethra relax, which lets urine pass out of your body.

Urinary incontinence occurs if your bladder muscles or any muscles surrounding your urethra suddenly relax. This leads to bladder leakage in minor cases or complete loss of your bladder in more severe cases. You can develop any of the following types of urinary incontinence (to name a few):

• Overactive: losing urine after a sudden urge to urinate
• Stress: minor leakage during physical movement, like coughing
• Overflow: unexpected bladder leakage if your bladder is always full
• Functional: physical problems that make it hard for you to reach the toilet in time
  
  

It’s also possible to struggle with mixed urinary incontinence, which means you have both urge and stress incontinence. In any case, women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men, often due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and the natural structure of their urinary tract.

How does a urologist diagnose urinary incontinence?

Spokane Urology specializes in providing comprehensive urinary incontinence diagnostic testing, which helps your doctor find the right type of treatment. After examining you and getting to know about your personal medical history, your doctor determines which screenings you may need. Urinary incontinence tests may include:

• Stress test
• Urinalysis
• Blood test
• Ultrasound
• Cystoscopy
• Urodynamics
  
  

Your urologist at Spokane Urology may also ask you to keep a diary for several days to record whenever you void your bladder. They need to know how often you urinate, even if it’s accidental, and about how much comes out.

What is the treatment for urinary incontinence?

After getting to the root of your urinary incontinence, your urologist counsels you about your treatment options. You may benefit from:

• Pessaries
• Biofeedback
• Kegel exercises
• Timed voiding
• Electrical stimulation
  
  

Your dedicated urologist at Spokane Urology may even recommend prescription medications, depending on which type of urinary incontinence you have. Medications can stop bladder contractions, relax muscles, and prevent bladder leakage.

Electric Stimulation

Medtronic Systems

At Spokane Urology, we offer many bladder control therapy options, including electrical stimulation delivered by Medtronic systems. 

If you’re ready to try an advanced approach, Medtronic bladder control therapy delivered by the InterStim™ system can help. It targets the nerves that control your bladder to help it function normally again.

We also offer Medtronic bladder control therapy delivered by the NURO™ system, which targets the tibial nerve to help you regain control of your bladder. By restoring* bladder function, this therapy puts you on a path to fewer trips to the bathroom, fewer pads per day, and more of the activities you enjoy.

Please visit the resources page on the Medtronic website for more information on the Medtornic InterStim™ and NURO™ systems.

Stress Urinary Incontinence

If you struggle with bladder leaks when you:

• Sneeze
• Exercise
• Laugh
• Cough 
• Walk

You may suffer from Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI).

What is stress urinary incontinence? 

• SUI is when urine leaks out during moments of physical activity that increases abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise. 
• This condition is caused by a weakness of the pelvic floor muscles, which usually tends to happen as we get older, with pregnancy and with certain pelvic floor conditions.

You are not alone. 

“Suffering with stress urinary incontinence was embarrassing and terrifying. Now, I am ecstatic, and I love my ‘new urethra’ thanks to Bulkamid!” 

- Nicole M. I Bulkamid Patient –

Did you know that stress urinary incontinence is a common condition that affects 1 in 3 women at some point in their Iives.1 In fact, in the US, more feminine pads are used for incontinence than for menstruation.2

Dealing with stress urinary incontinence can be frustrating, struggling with embarrassing bladder leaks. But luckily there is a treatment option available to help you regain bladder control.

How can Bulkamid help? 

Bulkamid is a urethral bulking agent that is used to treat stress urinary incontinence. It is a soft, water-based gel that can be used to restore the natural closing of the urethra. 

The majority of women with SUI choose Bulkamid before other treatment options.

The benefits of Bulkamid

• Safe and Effective: 92% of women reported being cured or improved following treatment with Bulkamid.4
• Simple Procedure: The procedure is a series of 3-4 small injections that take around 10- 15 minutes in an outpatient setting under local anesthetic.
• Long-lasting Relief: Bulkamid is clinically proven to deliver symptom relief out to seven years.

Spokane Urology offers highly effective treatment solutions for urinary incontinence. Find out more information by booking your appointment through the website or over the phone today.