As the year winds down and we head into the holiday season, your bladder health might be the last thing on your mind. But if you’re having incontinence issues, it might be time to check in with a urogynecologist to ensure your holidays are leakage-free.
Urogynecology Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Do you know how many people in the United States experience either temporary or chronic urinary incontinence? According to the National Association for Continence (https://www.nafc.org/), more than 25 million Americans experience bladder leakage every day.
The urogynecology team at St. Elizabeth Healthcare is here to help with bladder and bowel leakage and any other female pelvic health issues that might impact your quality of life.
“We see patients with a variety of concerns, from bladder and bowel control to pelvic organ prolapse and sexual dysfunction,” says Dr. Oakley at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “Our urogynecology team is board-certified and fellowship-trained to help create the best treatment plan for your individual needs.”
Urogynecology offers specialized care for women with pelvic floor disorders. The most common urogynecology concerns include:
- Overactive bladder: the sudden — and frequent — urge to urinate.
- Voiding dysfunction: weak urine stream, difficulty emptying bladder or hesitating during urination.
- Recurrent UTIs: repeated UTIs, despite antibiotic treatment, can be caused by factors like voiding difficulties or not urinating following sexual intercourse.
- Bladder prolapse: when bladder muscles and ligaments weaken or stretch out, causing the bladder to drop into the vagina.
- Urinary incontinence: also known as “leaking,” urinary incontinence happens when you accidentally urinate due to loss of bladder control.
If you are experiencing any of these issues, don’t hesitate — you don’t have to live with the uncertainty and stress of a pelvic floor disorder.
Treatment Options for Urogynecology Issues at St. Elizabeth
The urogynecology team at St. Elizabeth Healthcare encourages all women struggling with bladder and bowel issues to schedule an appointment to discuss their concerns. Treatments work and can include a variety of options, including:
- Targeted physical therapy designed to help with pelvic pain, bladder and bowel incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
- Lifestyle and dietary changes: lifestyle changes and dietary suggestions can positively impact urogynecology issues, such as adding daily cranberry supplements to prevent recurrent UTIs.
- Vaginal pessary: a temporary, removable device inserted into the vagina to support pelvic organ prolapse.
- Minimally invasive surgery: pelvic organ prolapse typically require a minimally invasive surgical procedure to repair stretched-out muscles and ligaments.
The NAFC suggests using a bladder or bowel diary to track incontinence, including key details like when it happens and what triggers it. This information can be critical in helping your specialist make a diagnosis and create a customized treatment plan to specifically fit your needs. Bring your diary to your appointment so you and your doctor can review it together.
Supportive Urogyncological Care: Schedule an Appointment Today
For more information or to schedule an appointment with the St. Elizabeth Urogynecology team, please call (859) 757-2132. We also have a collection of helpful urogynecology patient success stories to showcase the positive impact of urogynecology care.
