When Lifestyle Adjustments Aren’t Sufficient

Urge urinary incontinence, also called UUI, is a standard bladder situation that may considerably disrupt day by day life. People with UUI expertise sudden, robust urges to urinate that may be tough to regulate, generally resulting in leakage earlier than reaching the restroom. While the situation impacts thousands and thousands of adults, many individuals delay searching for care, typically assuming it’s a traditional a part of growing older or one thing they merely must reside with.

The excellent news: Urge urinary incontinence is treatable. And when life-style modifications or drugs don’t present sufficient aid, there are extra choices that will assist.

What is Urge Urinary Incontinence?

Urge urinary incontinence (UUI) is commonly related to an overactive bladder, a situation through which the bladder muscle contracts too continuously or unpredictably. Common signs of UUI embrace:

• A sudden, pressing must urinate
• Frequent journeys to the lavatory through the day or evening
• Leakage that happens earlier than you possibly can attain a restroom

Beyond the bodily signs, UUI can have an effect on high quality of life, impacting sleep, social actions and emotional well-being. Because signs range extensively, analysis by a specialist can assist establish contributing components and information remedy. 

What Are the First Line Treatments for Urge Urinary Incontinence?

Most sufferers start with conservative, noninvasive therapies. These first-line approaches are sometimes efficient and are really helpful earlier than transferring on to extra superior choices.

Lifestyle and behavioral methods might embrace:

• Fluid and bladder coaching
• Dietary changes (reminiscent of lowering caffeine)
• Timed voiding schedules

Pelvic ground remedy can assist strengthen and coordinate the muscle tissue concerned in bladder management, enhancing signs for a lot of people.

Medications can also be prescribed to calm bladder exercise. 

What Should You Do When Urge Urinary Incontinence Symptoms Persist?

For some sufferers, urge urinary incontinence continues regardless of making an attempt life-style modifications, bodily remedy or drugs. This doesn’t imply remedy has failed. It implies that it could be time to discover extra choices.

Specialists think about a number of components when recommending subsequent steps, together with symptom severity, earlier remedies, general well being and affected person preferences. The objective is all the time to discover a remedy plan that matches the person, not a one-size-fits-all.

Advanced Treatment Options For Urge Urinary Incontinence

When first-line remedies aren’t sufficient, a number of extra therapies could also be thought-about:

• Botulinum toxin (BOTOX®) injections into the bladder muscle to cut back overactivity
• Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), a remedy that stimulates nerves concerned in bladder management via the ankle utilizing a sequence of office-based remedies
• Sacral neuromodulation, which makes use of implanted know-how to assist regulate bladder indicators

In current years, newer tibial neuromodulation approaches have additionally emerged, increasing choices for sufferers who could also be candidates for nerve-based therapies. These remedies are designed to assist enhance communication between the bladder and the nervous system and could also be thought-about after different conservative remedies haven’t supplied enough aid.

A urology or urogynecology specialist can assist sufferers perceive the advantages, dangers and expectations of every possibility and decide which method could also be most acceptable.

Get the Help and Treatment That Works Best For You

CU Medicine suppliers like Kerri Thurmon, MD provide complete analysis and remedy for urge urinary incontinence, utilizing evidence-based approaches tailor-made to every affected person’s wants. Educational webinars and sources may also assist sufferers higher perceive their situation and remedy choices.

Register for Dr. Kerri Thurmon’s next bladder control issues webinar.