Urinary Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence/Urodynamic Study

Your lower urinary tract has two main functions: storing and emptying urine. Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of urine. There are many factors that contribute to the development of urinary incontinence: being female; having given birth vaginally; white race; aging; menopause and the lack of estrogen; obesity; underlying neurologic, gastrointestinal, or pulmonary diseases; and occupational and recreational factors such as smoking.

Urinary incontinence reportedly affects approximately 13-25 million people in the United States, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. There is a common misperception that nothing can be done about it. In fact, A Urodynamic Study is a great way to help diagnose any abnormal urinary functioning. Urodynamic is offered here in our office for all qualifying patients.

There are a few different types of urinary incontinence you may be experiencing:

  • Stress Incontinence: An involuntary loss of urine coincident with coughing, laughing, sneezing, walking, etc. This includes any activity that would increase abdominal pressure in your body.
  • Urge Incontinence/Detrusor Instability: A sudden, strong, and uncontrollable need to urinate.
  • Mixed Incontinence: A combination of both stresses and urge incontinence symptoms.
  • Overflow Incontinence: The accidental loss of urine from a chronically full bladder. It is associated with a small quantity of urine escaping when a woman stands, bends, or exerts herself, without the urge to void being present.

Reasons to have Urodynamic done include urinary incontinence, incomplete bladder emptying, intermittent or weak urinary stream, and/or persistent urinary tract infections.

You may be thinking, what exactly is Urodynamics? An Urodynamic Study is actually a series of tests designed to thoroughly evaluate the function of your urethra and bladder. It helps identify the causes of problems such as leaking urine, difficulty emptying the bladder and frequent or urgent urination.

Pre-Testing Instructions

  • Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to allow time for registration and to fill out a shot questionnaire.
  • We ask that you arrive with a comfortably full bladder, as the first part of the study involves a simple voiding procedure
  • You may eat and drink prior to the study; it is not required that you fast
  • If you are prone to Urinary tract infections (UTI's) and you feel that you may have a current infection, contact your physician. A urodynamic study will not be performed on patients who test positive for a bladder infection. Make sure to reschedule your appointment once your UTI has been treated.
  • If your physician has prescribed medications for your bladder such as Detrol LA, Enablex, Vesicare or Ditropan please stop taking this medication 48 hours prior to your study date, unless your physician directs you otherwise.

After Your Urodynamic Study

  • Drink plenty of water to flush out your bladder. Avoid fluids containing alcohol, caffeine or carbonation for 24 hours after your study. These may irritate the bladder lining.
  • It is not uncommon to experience bladder discomfort (such as stinging, burning, or aching for the first 12 to 24 hours). Soaking in a warm tub or sitz bath can often alleviate this discomfort.
  • Some patients may develop UTI's after their urodynamic study. Symptoms may include: fever or chills, painful urination, frequent or urgent urination, blood in urine, low back pain, and/or difficulty emptying bladder. If you experience any of these symptoms, please notify your physician at 601-932-5006