The Different Types of Urinary Incontinence

While sudden, unwanted bladder leaks affect up to 50% of females over the age of 50, urinary incontinence can affect women of all ages. Sadly, many of these women suffer in silence and don’t seek medical help because they are too embarrassed or because they assume it’s just an inevitable part of getting older.

At any age, bladder leaks can interfere with daily routines and seriously impact a woman’s quality of life. And the good news is that there are a variety of treatments that can reduce or eliminate bladder leaks.

Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress incontinence is a conditions that occurs when the pelvic floor muscles are weakened due to pregnancy and delivery, hormonal changes, weigh gain or aging. When pressure or stress is put on the bladder and urethra during certain activities – like laughing, coughing, running, exercising, etc. – urine leaks can range from a few drops to much more.

Stress urinary incontinence is the most common cause of bladder leaks in women, especially women over the age of 50.

Urge Urinary Incontinence

Urge incontinence is also commonly known as “overactive bladder”. With this condition, bladder leaks occur when the brain sends the wrong messages to your bladder at the wrong time. These nerve signals cause the bladder muscles to suddenly contract, creating a strong urge to urinate, even when the bladder is not full.

Because the sensation to urinate is so strong, the woman is often unable to hold the urine long enough to get to a bathroom. Urge incontinence can be its own separate condition, or it may be a side effect of an underlying medical issues such as an infection (UTI), diabetes, or neurological damage.

Mixed Urinary Incontinence

Mixed incontinence can be even more frustrating because it is a combination of both stress and urge urinary incontinence. As such it can result in involuntary bladder leaks due to sneezing, coughing, or exertion, as well as sudden urges to urinate unrelated to any activity.

Overflow Urinary Incontinence

Overflow incontinence occurs due to weak bladder muscles and/or a blockage in the urinary system. If the bladder muscles to weak to completely empty the bladder, it can retain urine and become too full – resulting in Involuntary urine leakage.

Causes of overflow urinary incontinence include: medications, tumors, bladder and kidney stones, loss of sensation, and other medical conditions.

Functional Urinary Incontinence

Functional incontinence is not a disease in and of itself. It refers to being unable to reach the bathroom in time due to cognitive or mobility issues that aren’t related to the urinary system.

For example, immobility, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury (TBI), can cause of functional incontinence from preventing a person to reach a toilet when they have an urge to urinate.

Viveve Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

Women CAN get relief from urinary incontinence and improve their quality of life with appropriate treatment.

The Viveve System – available at AMAE in Birmingham, MI – is a treatment designed to restore the health the pelvic area WITHOUT surgery. Viveve uses gentle, non-invasive radiofrequency energy to tightening the lax muscles which may help regain bladder control.

In clinical studies, Viveve has proven successful in treating stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence by strengthening weak pelvic floor muscles, improving blood flow, and supporting healthy nerve and tissue function in the pelvic floor.

Viveve is a simple one-time, in-office procedure that requires no incisions, no anesthetic, and no downtime.

In addition to treating urinary incontinence, Viveve tightens loose vaginal muscles, restores thickness and elasticity to vaginal walls, and can improve sexual desire and enjoyment!