731 Leighton Avenue, Suite 401Anniston, AL 36207

Special Care for Women | OBSTETRICIAN & GYNECOLOGIST LOCATED IN ANNISTON, AL

Incontinence

Home > Women’s Services > Gynecology > Incontinence

Illustration

Incontinence

While around 40% of women over the age of 65 have incontinence, it isn’t a normal part of aging. At Special Care for Women in Anniston, Alabama, Braden Richmond, MD, diagnoses the cause of incontinence and provides personalized treatments to restore your bladder control. Don’t ignore incontinence. Call Special Care for Women or schedule a consultation online today for expert diagnosis and treatment.

Incontinence Q & A

  • What is incontinence?

    Incontinence occurs when you can’t control your bladder and leak urine. Many factors contribute to incontinence, including your weight, diabetes, and overconsumption of caffeine.

    Additionally, medications like diuretics, surgery to your pelvic organs, or pregnancy can increase your chances of developing incontinence.

    There are several types of incontinence. Stress incontinence and urge incontinence are the most common types of the condition.

    Stress incontinence
    Stress incontinence is one of the most common types of incontinence. Stress incontinence develops when your pelvic floor becomes weak and doesn’t provide sufficient support to your bladder and urethra.

    Women are more likely than men to develop stress incontinence. The physical stress of pregnancy and childbirth, combined with the hormonal changes of menopause that cause vaginal atrophy, reduce your pelvic floor strength.

    Urge incontinence
    Urge incontinence or overactive bladder is another type of incontinence that occurs when neurological abnormalities or muscle spasm cause intense and uncontrollable urges to urinate.

  • When should I talk to a doctor about urinary incontinence?

    Urinary incontinence is a sign of a health issue, and you should never ignore it. Contact Dr. Richmond at Special Care for Women if you have any symptoms of incontinence.

    Dr. Richmond has years of experience in diagnosing and treating women’s health issues and provides discreet and compassionate treatment. He does everything possible to help you feel comfortable while under his care.

  • How is incontinence treated?

    Dr. Richmond begins with testing to identify the type of incontinence and the best treatment option to address your needs. He offers the latest medications, behavior modifications, and surgical techniques to relieve your symptoms and restore your health.

    Dr. Richmond usually begins with conservative treatments like medication, physical therapy, and behavior modifications. If you have urge incontinence due to muscle spasm, he might recommend Botox® injections to reduce the contraction in the muscles supporting your bladder.

    However, if these treatments don’t effectively relieve your symptoms, he offers state-of-the-art surgical procedures, including vaginal slings. Dr. Richmond can implant a vaginal sling during a 30-minute operation, which often provides excellent results.

    Dr. Richmond also offers vaginal revitalization treatments using the innovative CO2RE® Intima equipment designed by Candela™. Vaginal revitalization may restore your pelvic floor and increase support to your bladder, urethra, and other pelvic organs.

If you have incontinence, call Special Care for Women, or schedule an appointment online today to meet with Dr. Richmond and get the personalized treatment you need to restore your bladder control.