Female Urology

What is female urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence means that you accidentally leak urine sometimes. There are several types of urinary incontinence. 

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence is the most common kind of urinary incontinence in women. It happens when you put accidental pressure on your bladder. Common triggers can include sneezing, coughing, or lifting something heavy. 

Urge incontinence

Urge incontinence, also known as overactive bladder, is the other common kind of urinary incontinence among women. 

Urge incontinence sufferers have the urgent need to urinate many times per day. But, when you actually get to the bathroom, you'll likely urinate only a small amount. 

It's common to have symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence, which is called mixed urinary incontinence.

What are urinary tract infections (UTIs)?

A UTI is an infection in your urinary tract, which includes:

• Kidneys
• Bladder
• Urethra
• Ureters

Women are particularly prone to UTIs because the female urethra is so much shorter than the male urethra. This means that it's easier for bacteria to invade the female urinary system to cause UTIs.

Usually, UTIs affect the bladder, but an untreated bladder UTI can move into other parts of your urinary tract. The more the UTI moves up in your urinary tract, the more serious the infection is and the worse the symptoms become. 

A UTI in your kidneys could potentially cause serious long-term damage, so it's important to get treatment as soon as you experience UTI symptoms like lower abdominal pressure, dark urine, and pain while urinating.

What is interstitial cystitis?

Interstitial cystitis is also known as bladder pain. It’s more common in women than in men but can affect both sexes. 

If you have interstitial cystitis, you’re likely to experience bladder pain and pressure for more than six weeks. The symptoms might be sporadic, but for many women the pain and pressure are constant.

How are female urology problems treated?

The Arizona Urology specialists address all female urology conditions on an individual basis. From mild urinary tract infections to severe pelvic organ prolapse in which your bladder or other urinary tract organs descend into the vagina, there are solutions that can help.

The urology team always takes the noninvasive and minimally invasive approach if possible. Your treatment may include

• Behavioral modification like dietary changes
• Medication like antibiotics
• Minimally invasive robotic surgery
• Urethral slings
• Bladder pacemakers-interstim device

You don’t have to live with female urology problems. You can rely upon the Arizona Urology team for help with female urology problems of all types, call the office nearest you now.