Millions of men and women suffer from mild to severe urinary control problems. People may feel the urge to urinate more frequently than average, experience episodes of bladder incontinence, or notice urinary leakage when they are engaging in normal activities. Depending on the frequency and nature of bladder problems, doctors can recommend several different types of urinary control treatment. Some patients benefit from medications that are geared directly at urinary control or at an underlying cause of problems. Others are able to recover from their urinary issues by engaging in specific exercises to strengthen their pelvic muscles and making certain lifestyle changes such as maintaining a more healthy diet.
The methods and medications used to improve urinary control are usually different for men and women. Men can experience bladder problems because of poor lifestyle choices, weakened muscles due to aging or hormone changes, prostate cancer or surgery, or certain prescription medications like muscle relaxers. A primary care physician or urologist can diagnose the cause of urinary problems by analyzing urine and blood tests and conducting physical examinations.
If urinary control issues are related to prostate problems, the physician might recommend medications to shrink the prostate or arrange for surgery to remove cancerous or otherwise abnormal tissue. Anticholinergic drugs are commonly used to calm overactive bladders in men who are not experiencing prostate troubles. Some individuals are able to strengthen their pelvic muscles through specially designed floor exercises. Ceasing certain bad habits, including smoking, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, eating unhealthy food, and leading a sedentary lifestyle can also improve bladder functioning.
Women can experience urinary control issues when they gain weight, drink too much water, or lose strength in their pelvic muscles and bladder tissue due to childbirth, imbalances of estrogen, or aging. Maintaining a healthy diet and monitoring the intake of fluids is often enough to solve bladder problems, though some women require additional treatment. Hormone supplements and anticholinergic medications are routinely used to promote healthy bladder functioning. Kegel exercises, which involve repetitively tightening and relaxing pelvic muscles, can help strengthen and tone the areas necessary to stop urinary incontinence.
Surgical procedures to improve urinary control are rarely used, but necessary for men and women who do not find relief from other treatment options. A surgeon can inject artificial collagen into the urethral muscles of men to strengthen them, or implant a small balloon in the lower abdomen that helps regulate bladder pressure and the release of urine. A woman can undergo pelvic sacral neuromodulation, a procedure that involves surgically implanting a tiny electrode in her back that helps to regulate bladder control with electrical impulses.
