Urinary Incontinence in Women (cont.)
How is incontinence evaluated?
The first step toward relief is to see a
doctor who has experience treating incontinence to learn what type you have. A
urologist specializes in the urinary tract, and some urologists further
specialize in the female urinary tract. Gynecologists and obstetricians
specialize in the female reproductive tract and childbirth. A urogynecologist
focuses on urinary and associated pelvic problems in women. Family practitioners
and internists see patients for all kinds of health conditions. Any of these
doctors may be able to help you. In addition, some nurses and other health care
providers often provide rehabilitation services and teach behavioral therapies
such as fluid management and pelvic floor strengthening.
To diagnose the problem, your doctor will first ask about symptoms and
medical history. Your pattern of voiding and urine leakage may suggest the type
of incontinence you have. Thus, many specialists begin with having you fill out
a bladder diary over several days. These diaries can reveal obvious factors that
can help define the problem -- including straining and discomfort, fluid intake,
use of drugs, recent surgery, and illness. Often you can begin treatment at the
first medical visit.
Your doctor may instruct you to keep a diary for a day or more -- sometimes up
to a week -- to record when you void. This diary should note the times you urinate
and the amounts of urine you produce. To measure your urine, you can use a
special pan that fits over the toilet rim. You can also use the bladder diary to
record your fluid intake, episodes of urine leakage, and estimated amounts of
leakage.
If your diary and medical history do not define the problem, they will at
least suggest which tests you need.
Your doctor will physically examine you for signs of medical conditions
causing incontinence, including treatable blockages from bowel or pelvic
growths. In addition, weakness of the pelvic floor leading to incontinence may
cause a condition called prolapse, where the vagina or bladder begins to
protrude out of your body. This condition is also important to diagnose at the
time of an evaluation.
Your doctor may measure your bladder capacity. The doctor may also measure
the residual urine for evidence of poorly functioning bladder muscles. To do
this, you will urinate into a measuring pan, after which the nurse or doctor
will measure any urine remaining in the bladder. Your doctor may also recommend
other tests:
- Bladder stress test -- You cough vigorously as the doctor watches for loss of
urine from the urinary opening.
- Urinalysis and urine culture -- Laboratory
technicians test your urine for evidence of infection, urinary stones, or other
contributing causes.
- Ultrasound -- This test uses sound waves to create an image of
the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
- Cystoscopy -- The doctor inserts a thin
tube with a tiny camera in the urethra to see inside the urethra and bladder.
- Urodynamics -- Various techniques measure pressure in the bladder and the flow of
urine.
Next: How is urinary incontinence treated? »
- Urinalysis - Learn about the urinalysis test. Diseases and conditions such as urinary tract or kidney infection, kidney stones, kidney failure, diabetes, or high blood pressure can be diagnosed or monitored.
- Pregnancy (Stages - Trimesters of Pregnancy) - Learn what to expect during the three phases of pregnancy (1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester). Find out what changes in your body to expect, and how your baby will develop week by week.
- Ultrasound - Learn an ultrasound procedure, and conditions and diseases it assists in diagnosing and screening like tumors, cysts, heart conditions and more.
Latest Medical News
Womens Health RSS