Urinary Incontinence

What causes urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control, can be a temporary problem caused by a urinary tract infection or medications. It can also develop from consuming foods or beverages that irritate your bladder, such as caffeine.

When the problem persists, however, it’s usually due to an underlying health condition. Some of the most common causes are:

• Hormone changes: loss of estrogen at menopause leads to muscle atrophy that weakens the urinary tract
• Pregnancy and childbirth: the baby’s weight and vaginal delivery stretch pelvic floor muscles
• Age-related changes: bladder muscles lose strength over time

All of these factors work together to weaken your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles hold your bladder and uterus in their proper position. Some of the pelvic floor muscles also control urination. 

When pelvic floor muscles weaken, you’re more likely to develop urinary incontinence.

What are the different types of urinary incontinence?

The most common types of incontinence include:

Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence is the most common type in women younger than 65 years. It occurs when urine leaks due to pressure on your bladder or abdomen. It often happens when you laugh, cough, sneeze or pick up a heavy object. It may prevent you from exercising or participating in activities because you want to avoid embarrassment.

Urge Incontinence

Urge incontinence occurs when you feel a sudden, strong urge to empty your bladder, followed by involuntary urine loss. This type sometimes causes you to urinate more frequently, even during the night. Urge incontinence may also indicate an infection or a more severe health condition, such as diabetes.

Mixed Incontinence

Some women develop stress and urge incontinence together, which is called mixed incontinence. Mixed and urge incontinence are more common in women older than 65 years.

Overflow Incontinence

You experience a frequent, trickling loss of urine as a result of your bladder not emptying completely when you use the bathroom.

What types of treatments are available for incontinence?

After identifying the underlying cause of your urinary incontinence, Dr. Ntaimo customizes your treatment. Your treatment may include standard conservative therapies, such as exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

You’ll achieve better results in less time with innovative procedures available at Empowerment Med, such as:

The BTL EMSELLA™ chair

The EMSELLA chair is the newest, FDA-approved technology for treating urinary incontinence. You only need to sit on the chair, fully clothed, while electromagnetic pulses are used to stimulate your pelvic floor muscles. 

With EMSELLA, pelvic floor muscles contract with an intensity and frequency that’s impossible to achieve when you perform standard exercises. The procedure is painless and only takes 28 minutes per session to produce 11,200 impulses.

You’ll receive six treatments over three weeks. Nationwide, 95% of women are satisfied with their results. 

ThermiVa®

ThermiVa is an advanced medical device that uses gentle radiofrequency (RF) energy to rejuvenate your vagina and urinary tract. In this pain-free procedure, RF energy stimulates the production of collagen and the regeneration of blood vessels in your urinary tract. As muscles strengthen, you regain better control of urination.

O-Shot®

The O-Shot contains platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is made from your own blood. After drawing blood, the sample is placed in a centrifuge that separates platelets from other components like white and red blood cells. This concentrated amount of platelets, called PRP, is injected in the vagina, close to your urethra.

Platelets contain growth factors that naturally stimulate tissue growth, including blood vessels and collagen. After PRP is injected, growth factors go to work, restoring your urinary tract and improving symptoms of incontinence.

Don’t suffer from the embarrassment of urinary incontinence because Dr. Ntaimo can help. Call Empowerment Med for an appointment or schedule one online.

Empowerment Med proudly serves Hearne, Navasota, Caldwell, Madisonville, Franklin, Brenham, Iola, Snook, North Zulch, Kurten, Bryan.