Female Urology/ Incontinence
Female urology is the division of urology that focuses on those urological issues that are specific to women. Women, for various reasons, can suffer exacerbations of certain urological conditions, such as urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence or other bladder control issues.
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: It is not uncommon for women to occasionally experience urinary tract infections. Unfortunately, for some women, these infections can recur and become chronic. Many believe that this is, in part, because women have a short urethra (the tube that carries urine away from the bladder). Regardless of the reason, a woman who experiences recurrent urinary tract infections often requires a thorough exam. There are numerous treatment options that include lifestyle modification, dietary changes as well as medication regimens.
Overactive Bladder: For reasons we do not fully appreciate, women more often experience urinary frequency and urgency than men do. Urgency is when a woman experiences a sudden and severe sense of needing to urinate. Urge incontinence (a sudden leakage of urine associated with urgency) can occur in those instances when a woman is overcome with a sense of urgency and cannot find a bathroom in time. Needless to say, an overactive bladder can have a very real impact on a person’s quality of life. Treatment options include lifestyle modification, dietary changes, medications as well as various surgical procedures. The good news is that there are a number of options to help return a woman to normal function.
Stress Urinary Incontinence: It is not unusual for women, as they age, to begin to leak urine with coughing, sneezing or with strenuous exercise. This condition is known as stress urinary incontinence and is more common with those women who have delivered babies vaginally, but is by no means limited to those women. The amount of leakage can range from mild to severe. Often times, significant improvement, if not complete resolution, can be obtained with intervention. At this time, there are various treatment options including pelvic exercises, medications, office based procedures as well as surgical interventions.
For more information on these topics and other
conditions, please refer to the following:
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