The march of time can also be a deciding factor as to which treatment options will help relieve your urinary incontinence symptoms. A conservative treatment that works for many years may suddenly become ineffective due to aging and the continual effects of gravity.For instance, suppose you suffer from stress urinary incontinence, which means that you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, or exercise (or whenever pressure increases in your abdominal cavity). If you seek help at the first sign of urine leakage you may find immediate relief with conservative treatments such as Kegels or weight loss. These conservative options may work for you for many years.However, don’t be surprised if one day you discover that these treatments no longer stop your urine leakage. This is especially true if you have had more children and as you age. At this point you need to seek guidance from your physician or specialist, who will determine whether your pelvic organs are still in good position and whether your pelvic floor muscles still have good tone.
If your pelvic organs have moved out of their proper position (prolapsed), you may need to have minor surgery to correct the problem. For instance, with stress urinary incontinence your physician may recommend an outpatient surgical procedure in which a mesh tape is placed around your urethra to prevent leakage. These types of surgeries are generally relatively painless and most women return home the same day.
Tip: If the conservative treatments for your urinary incontinence suddenly stop working, schedule an appointment with your physician right away to determine whether a mix of different conservative treatments or minor surgery is called for at this time. With women’s urinary incontinence, and ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure!
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