Urinary Incontinence Specialist

OB-GYN Associates of Marietta

Obstetrics and Gynecologist located in Marietta, GA & Woodstock, GA

Would it surprise you to know that nearly half of all women have urinary incontinence? You may not know it affects so many women because most just don’t talk about this embarrassing problem. At OB-GYN Associates of Marietta, the team includes specialists in urogynecology who have the expertise to diagnose urinary incontinence and provide effective treatment. To get help for your incontinence, book an appointment online or call one of the offices in Marietta or Woodstock, Georgia.

Urinary Incontinence Q & A

What causes urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence occurs when you lose bladder control and involuntarily leak urine. You can develop temporary incontinence when you have a urinary tract infection or consume foods and beverages that irritate your urinary tract, like spicy foods and caffeine.

When you have ongoing urinary incontinence, however, it may be caused by:

Pelvic floor disorders

The pelvic floor muscles hold your bladder in place and help control the flow of urine. You can develop urinary incontinence when these muscles weaken due to hormone changes, vaginal delivery, and age-related changes.

Neuromuscular disorders

When nerve signals between the brain and bladder are disrupted, your bladder muscles can malfunction, suddenly contract, and force urine leakage.

Anatomical problems

You may develop incontinence when you have bladder stones or other blockages in your urinary tract.

What are the different types of urinary incontinence?

There are three main types of urinary incontinence:

Stress incontinence

In this type of incontinence, urine leaks when pressure is placed on your bladder. Coughing, sneezing, laughing, and exercising are a few of the most common activities that cause leakage when you have stress incontinence. It is often caused by pelvic floor disorders.

Urgency incontinence

As its name suggests, you develop a sudden and urgent need to urinate, followed by the involuntary loss of urine. Also called overactive bladder, this type of incontinence is likely caused by neuromuscular problems.

Mixed incontinence

The third type of incontinence occurs when you have both stress and urgency incontinence.

How is urinary incontinence treated?

The urogynecology specialists at OB-GYN Associates of Marietta perform urodynamic studies to evaluate your bladder function and diagnose the cause of your urinary incontinence. Each patient’s treatment plan is individualized and may include one or more of the many possible therapies, including:

Behavioral training, such as fluid management and delayed urination
Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles
Medications to calm bladder muscles
Botox® injections to relax bladder muscles
Urethral bulking to help close the urinary sphincter
Minimally invasive surgery to repair muscles

If your incontinence doesn’t improve with nonsurgical treatments, your doctor may recommend nerve stimulation to normalize neuromuscular communication.

Help is available for urinary incontinence. Call OB-GYN Associates of Marietta or book an appointment online.

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