Stress Incontinence Treatment in Boca Raton, FL

Stress incontinence is a form of urinary incontinence that makes it hard to stop the flow of urine when pressure is placed on the bladder. This issue can cause feelings of embarrassment, limit social activity, and it may also affect a person’s romantic life.

Urologist David Schwartzwald, MD is board-certified by the American Board of Urology and has over 30 years of experience in testing and treatment for stress incontinence. Learn more about your treatment options for stress urinary incontinence and call (561) 939-0700 to schedule your appointment in Boca Raton today! You can also request an appointment online through our secure form. Our office is just a short drive from Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Palm Beach.

What Are the Symptoms of Stress Incontinence?

Most patients with stress incontinence tend to lose bladder control during physical activity. In some cases, however, bladder leakage can occur from pressure applied to the bladder while in a sitting or standing position. Most commonly, leakage occurs when:

• Exercising or doing heavy lifting. This can include walking, running, jumping, etc.
• Laughing. Laughing can cause muscles to contract and for a person’s weight to shift, which may put pressure on the bladder.
• Sneezing. The sudden and forceful body movements caused by sneezing may cause a person with stress incontinence to leak urine.
• Sexual Intercourse. Engaging in sexual intercourse can cause pressure against the abdomen.

What Causes Stress Incontinence?

Women are twice as likely as men to experience stress incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles that support the bladder and control the release of urine begin to weaken. In most cases, this is because of childbirth. During some births, muscle and tissue damage can occur to the pelvic floor. The most common factor that leads to stress incontinence in men is prostate surgery. If the prostate gland is removed, the tissue that wraps around the urethra may be weakened.

Testing for Stress Incontinence

For most cases of stress incontinence, the issue is fairly easy to diagnose and may not require any tests. But, some tests may be taken to pinpoint the cause of incontinence if mixed symptoms are experienced. These tests include:

• Urine Volume Test. After urinating, the doctor will determine the amount of leftover urine in the bladder.
• Bladder Pressure Test. The doctor will slowly fill the bladder with warm water and use a pressure sensor to measure changes in the patient’s bladder pressure.
• Bladder Examination. A cystoscope, a small device that can provide images to the doctor, will be inserted into the bladder so that the physician can examine the bladder and urethra.

Treatment Options

The first steps to treating stress urinary incontinence are often behavior therapies such as pelvic floor muscle exercises, dietary adjustments, lifestyle changes, and bladder training. There aren’t currently any approved medications to treat stress incontinence.

Devices

• Urethral Inserts. A disposable device is worn at various times throughout the day to act as a barrier against leakage. It is mostly recommended for what a patient is going to be performing physical activity.

Stress Incontinence Surgery

Surgery intervention to treat stress incontinence is typically the last resort when behavior therapies and devices don’t provide adequate relief from symptoms. The goal of the surgery will be to provide the bladder and urethral muscles with adequate support.