Urinary incontinence can be a problem at any age and affects both men and women. The impact of this problem can be profound, affecting lifestyle, work opportunities, and intimate relations. However, help is at hand, and at MySkyn we can offer a way to fix urinary incontinence and enable you to regain your confidence.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the inability to control urination and prevent the bladder from emptying before you can reach a toilet. This is usually due to weakness of the pelvic floor muscles or problems with the bladder.
Leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or play sports is embarrassing but common. You may even find that you experience a degree of urine leakage all the time.
Some cases of urinary incontinence require surgical intervention or solutions like an artificial urinary sphincter or pessaries for pelvic organ prolapse. However, many people can benefit from a combination of bladder training, pelvic floor muscle training, and non-invasive treatment options, including Empower RF.
The most common causes of poor bladder control
Urinary incontinence is really part of the human condition, with many of us experiencing it at one time or another in our lives.
Common causes include;
The ageing process
The risk of urinary incontinence increases with age, especially after age 50. As we get older, we lose muscle tone and strength throughout our bodies. When this change affects the pelvic floor muscles, they can no longer support the bladder. This loss of support impairs bladder function, leading to urinary leakage.
Menopause
The fluctuating hormone levels that women experience during menopause affect the pelvic floor and the bladder muscle. The muscle fibres lose elasticity, reducing bladder control.
Pregnancy and childbirth
The growing baby occupies a significant portion of the pelvic cavity, stretching the pelvic floor muscles. If the muscles are overstretched, they cannot spring back, and their strength and elasticity are compromised, affecting their ability to support healthy bladder function. The process of vaginal birth places extra strain on the whole area, also causing weak pelvic floor muscles.
Temporary urinary incontinence during pregnancy is common, but for many women, particularly if they have had multiple children, problems with urine leakage can persist.
Obesity
Excess weight over the abdominal area puts extra downward pressure on the bladder, which can cause urine leaks.
The different types of urinary incontinence
Bladder control problems can cause different types of urinary incontinence, including:
Stress incontinence
If you experience bladder leakage when you cough, laugh, or exert yourself, then you are suffering from stress incontinence.
Overflow incontinence
If you find that you are leaking urine all the time, then the entrance to your bladder is not closing properly, and we call this overflow incontinence.
Overactive bladder or urge incontinence
If you experience a sudden and uncontrollable urge to urinate which is so overwhelming that you have no time to find a toilet, then you have an overactive bladder or are suffering from urge incontinence.
Mixed Urinary Incontinence
Many people experience more than one of these bladder control problems and are diagnosed with mixed urinary incontinence.
Self-help for bladder control problems
Mild urinary incontinence can often be improved by bladder training, pelvic floor exercises and some lifestyle adjustments.
Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
Daily Kegel exercises will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and reduce urinary incontinence. You do need to commit to pelvic floor muscle exercises long term and, ideally, perform them at least three times a day; if you do, you will soon notice an improvement in your bladder control. Women and men can benefit from pelvic floor exercises.
Lose weight
Even a small weight loss around your middle could improve your bladder health by relieving pressure on your bladder and pelvic floor muscles, reducing symptoms of stress and urge incontinence.
Bladder training
You can retrain an overactive bladder by resisting the urge to pass urine for as long as possible. and increasing the time between toilet visits. Eventually your bladder muscles will become accustomed to feeling full again and be able to accommodate more urine without the sudden urge to empty.
Avoid bladder irritants
Some foods and drinks stimulate bladder muscle contractions which empty the bladder. These include alcohol, caffeine, tea and spicy food. Avoiding these or reducing their consumption could help manage urinary incontinence.
Quitting smoking
Many smokers have a chronic cough which places frequent pressure on the bladder muscle and the pelvic floor muscles. Stress incontinence can be significantly improved by removing the stimulus for your cough.
Fluid Management
Try to avoid drinking large amounts of fluid before bed, particularly drinks containing caffeine and alcohol. Give your bladder a rest while you sleep and avoid those frequent trips to the toilet at night.
A combination of these lifestyle changes may help you to regain control over your bladder.
Treatment for urinary incontinence at MySkyn
If you have tried all the above and still need more help with your bladder control problems, then we can treat incontinence with a highly effective treatment called Empower RF.
This non-surgical treatment targets the pelvic floor muscles. Empower RF uses radiofrequency waves to stimulate muscle contractions that strengthen your pelvic floor. The contractions are much stronger and more frequent than those you can achieve with Kegel exercises and will help you control urination more effectively.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EMPOWER RF HERE
How does Empower RF work?
Empower RF works to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and boost pelvic health in several ways;
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
Electrical stimulation produces powerful muscle contractions, strengthening and firming the muscle tissues.
Intravaginal EMS
The muscle wall of the vagina helps to support the bladder, and vaginal prolapse can affect bladder function.
Radiofrequency Energy and Sub-dermal Fractional Microneedling
These two treatments promote collagen production in the intimate areas, improving the elasticity and strength of the muscles.
YOU CAN BOOK AN EMPOWER RF CONSULTATION HERE
Urinary incontinence treatment at Myskyn
Come and talk to the professionals about your concerns, and we will advise you on how to tackle the debilitating problem of urinary incontinence.
Call us on 01274 921 121 or by email at enquiries@myskyn.co.uk
YOU CAN USE OUR ONLINE BOOKING FORM HERE
