| David J. Laub, M.D. |
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Incontinence/Urinary Control More than 13 million people in the United States share your problems with bladder control. Though they are most common in women, especially moms and older women, men can also experience signs of incontinence. Many people have trouble reaching the bathroom in time or experience leaking when you laugh, sneeze, or lift something heavy. There may be a medical solution for you. Dr. Laub has the expertise and advanced technology to quickly diagnose the cause of your bladder incontinence. There are surgical and non-surgical solutions to benefit most patients with their bladder leakage. Non-Surgical treatments may include:
Surgical Treatments include:
***(Most procedures are done in an outpatient setting and patients are home within several hours of the procedure. Many are back on their feet in no time)*** Facts and physiology behind incontinence
Older women, more often than younger women, experience incontinence. But incontinence is not inevitable with age. Incontinence is treatable and often curable at all ages. If you experience incontinence, you may feel embarrassed. It may help you to remember that loss of bladder control can be treated. You will need to overcome your embarrassment and see a doctor to learn if you need treatment for an underlying medical condition. Incontinence in women usually occurs because of problems with muscles that help to hold or release urine. The body stores urine-water and wastes removed by the kidneys-in the bladder, a balloon-like organ. The bladder connects to the urethra, the tube through which urine leaves the body. During urination, muscles in the wall of the bladder contract, forcing urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same time, sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra relax, letting urine pass out of the body (see figure 1). Incontinence will occur if your bladder muscles suddenly contract or muscles surrounding the urethra suddenly relax.
How is incontinence evaluated? The first step toward relief is to see a doctor who is well acquainted with incontinence to learn what type you have. Dr. Laub has extensive experience in this area to quickly diagnose and correct the problem. To diagnose the problem, you will first be asked about symptoms and medical history. Your pattern of voiding and urine leakage may suggest the type of incontinence. Other obvious factors that can help define the problem include straining and discomfort, use of drugs, recent surgery, and illness. If your medical history does not define the problem, it will at least suggest which tests are needed. You will need a physical exam to evaluate for other medical conditions causing incontinence, such as the nerves that affect the urinary tract, stool impaction, and poor reflexes or sensations, which may be evidence of a nerve-related cause. Often, Dr. Laub will measure your bladder capacity and residual urine for evidence of poorly functioning bladder muscles. To do this, you will drink plenty of fluids and urinate into a measuring pan, after which the doctor will measure any urine remaining in the bladder. He may also recommend:
Dr. Laub may ask you to keep a diary for a day or more, up to a week, to record when you void. This diary should note the times you urinate, the amount of urine you produce, and how often you are drinking. To measure your urine, you can use a special pan that fits over the toilet rim.
Since 1992
2320 Bath St.
Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00 |
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Women experience incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. But both women and men can become incontinent from neurologic injury, birth defects, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and physical problems associated with aging.