Urodynamics Q & A 

What is incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is any condition in which you lose control over your bladder. There are several types:

Stress incontinence

If you experience leakage when there’s added pressure on your bladder, such as when you cough or sneeze, this is called stress incontinence.

Urge incontinence

This type of incontinence is characterized by an overwhelming urge to urinate, even if you’ve just gone, and the inability to control it.

Mixed incontinence

With mixed incontinence, you experience symptoms of both urge and stress incontinence.

What causes incontinence?

There are a number of reasons why you may be suffering from incontinence, including:

• Pregnancy
• Urinary tract infection
• Menopause
• Childbirth
• Obstructions, like a stone
• Hysterectomy

One of the leading causes of urinary incontinence is menopause. During this time, the tissue in your vaginal walls begins to lose strength and is unable to support your bladder as it once did.

Pregnancy places added pressure on your bladder, which goes away after childbirth, but you still may be left with weakened muscles post-delivery, prolonging your incontinence.

What are urodynamics?

Urodynamics are designed to get to the bottom of your incontinence by testing how well your urinary tract — which includes your bladder, sphincters, and urethra — holds and releases urine.

The doctors at Monroe OBGYN are devoted to helping their patients find the source of the problem so that they can get back to a better quality of life. To do this, they study your system using:

• Cystometry to measure how much urine your bladder can hold
• Electromyography to gauge the electrical activity in the nerves and muscles in your pelvic floor
• Urethral pressure profile to test your urethra
• Uroflowmetry to measure your urine output
• Voiding pressure study to measure the pressure in your bladder during urination

As you can see, the doctors at Monroe OBGYN have the tools necessary to pinpoint your problem in order to help you find the best solution. Rest assured, the Monroe OBGYN team works diligently in order to help you get back to your life without worrying about embarrassing urinary leakage.

For more information on urodynamics, call Monroe OBGYN or fill out the online form to request an appointment.