Urinary Incontinence in Women

*Urinary incontinence (UI) in men facts Medically Edited by: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

• The definition of urinary incontinence in women is the unintentional loss of urine.
• Urinary incontinence occurs more often in women than in men. Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause may contribute to urinary incontinence in women.
• Weak bladder muscles, overactive bladder muscles, and nerve damage may also cause urinary incontinence in women.
• Urinary incontinence in women is common and treatable.
• There are different types of urinary incontinence in women, including stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overactive bladder, functional incontinence, overflow incontinence, mixed incontinence, and transient incontinence.
• Diagnosis of urinary incontinence in women may involve a physical exam, an ultrasound, urodynamic testing, and tests including cystoscopy, urinalysis, and a bladder stress test. The doctor will also take a medical history and may recommend keeping a bladder diary.
• Treatment of urinary incontinence in women may include behavioral or nonpharmacologic treatments, like bladder training and Kegel exercises, medication, biofeedback, neuromodulation, surgery, catheterization, or a combination of these therapies.
• Research is ongoing to discover new and better treatments for urinary incontinence in women.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/urinary_incontinence_in_women/article.htm