Many women are hesitant to ask their doctors about incontinence because they think nothing can be done or that surgery is their only treatment option. In fact, there is a wide range of surgical and non-surgical treatment options that can be very effective in reducing or eliminating leakage. Consider these scenarios:

Case #1:  Ruth Rushes to the Bathroom All Day Long

When she was younger, she had occasional problems with leakage, but now, at age 65, Ruth is fed up with the frequent need to rush to the bathroom and the strong, uncontrollable urges that bother her all day long and wake her up at night. This "gotta go" type of bladder control problem is called urge incontinence. Ruth does not like to take medication so she was happy to learn that she could be helped by other treatments. Working closely with a nurse at the Loyola Women's Pelvic Medicine Center, Ruth learned to keep track of her fluid intake, avoid beverages and foods that could irritate her urinary tract and gradually increase the time between urinating. Ruth also was taught to use a nerve stimulator device at home that helped control her urges.

Case #2:  Leaking Keeps Janet from Playing Tennis

Janet is 38 and has three children. She is active and athletic, but has recently stopped playing tennis altogether because she is so embarrassed and frustrated by leakage. The problem has gotten worse over the last few years. Jumping, coughing, even being intimate with her husband may cause a spurt of urine to leak out unexpectedly - even when her bladder is nearly empty. This problem is called stress incontinence. After hearing the range of treatment options available, Janet opted for an innovative treatment that required a local anesthetic and was performed in the outpatient clinic in only a few minutes. The physician injected a synthetic substance that is similar to the natural protein, collagen, into the area around the bladder neck to tighten it and block leakage.

Case #3:  Cindy's Leakage Continues after Having Her Baby

Cindy, 29, knew that occasional leakage was a very common side effect during the third trimester of pregnancy. She was frustrated, though, when the problem continued a year after her baby was born. Cindy found relief by practicing pelvic floor exercises for five minutes a few times each day. Known as Kegel exercises, these exercises not only can eliminate stress incontinence, but may be the best way to prevent stress incontinence from occurring later in life.

"Women of any age do not need to let bladder control problems limit their lives," said Dr. Brubaker. "You can take control of your bladder."

Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and staff comprise the Loyola Women's Pelvic Medicine team. There are many clinical trials that women can participate in and receive innovative treatments for no charge. For more information or to make an appointment at the Loyola Women's Pelvic Medicine Center, call (708) 216-2180.

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