Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a condition that causes pain in the bladder and the need to urinate frequently, with urgency. It is a long-term inflammation and swelling of the bladder wall. The inflammation causes the bladder walls to become stiff, meaning it cannot expand as it fills. Symptoms of IC include pain, urgency to urinate, or incontinence.

IC occurs more in women than men. The symptoms can vary in severity, and each case is different. Some people experience only pain, some have more intense urgency that can lead to urinary incontinence.

Unfortunately, what causes IC is not known. Many people think they have a urinary tract infection when they are suffering from IC, but no infection comes up. IC can be more severe for women when they have their period.

The only way to diagnose IC is to see a physician, who will run tests to rule out other conditions. Treatments for Interstitial Cystitis pain include inflating the bladder, bathing bladder with medicine, oral medication, electrical nerve stimulation, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery. How to handle IC depends on your symptoms and can be determined by a physician.

Millions of people suffer from urinary incontinence. The most common form is stress, or urge incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is most prevalent in women but can affect men too. Stress incontinence can happen when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or lifting something. Urge incontinence means there is also an urge to get to a bathroom while leakage is occurring.

Some lifestyle changes can help reduce urge symptoms including avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and quitting smoking. An at-home treatment is Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvis muscles.

Tips to avoid urinary emergencies:

• Drink less liquid while out and about
• Avoid foods or drink that can trigger emergencies such as spicy food, citrus, and carbonated beverages
• Do not jump or run
• Try to go to the bathroom more often to reduce leakage

Many patients want to know how to avoid urine leakage. If the above steps are taken and leakage continues to occur, it may be time to seek help.  If you have constant urges, you’re always mapping out the route to a bathroom, or you avoid traveling or social events because of your incontinence contact us. The Incontinence Institute offers individualized treatment options. Feel free to call our discreet, professional Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953 if you have questions or to set up an appointment.

Incontinence sufferers know that bowel leaking can be an embarrassing problem, but it’s one that affects millions of people. Some causes for bowel incontinence include obstetric injuries in women, anal surgeries, autoimmune diseases, aging, and neurologic diseases. Stress can worsen gastrointestinal problems and contribute to bowel incontinence. A bowel impaction can also cause leaks.

Bowel leaks can be dealt with by taking a fiber supplement to help bulk up stool or eating a more fiber-rich diet. Preparing for accidental bowel leakage can also be done by wearing incontinence undergarments.

Stress urinary incontinence can be caused by a variety of factors, and has been linked to anxiety. There is a connection between anxiety and stress incontinence in some patients.

What is Stress Incontinence?

Stress incontinence is an involuntary loss of urine. This usually occurs when there is pressure on the bladder from coughing, sneezing, running, or jumping. It can be caused by aging, childbirth, smoking, chronic cough, and more. It can also be caused by anxiety, which has physical manifestations. This can begin a cycle of incontinence anxiety, exacerbating the anxiety. Nearly two-thirds of anxiety sufferers in the United States are women, and incontinence is also more common in women, so they may be at a higher risk for both.

Here are five tips that will help you manage your incontinence, and as a result hopefully minimize your stress.

1. Always be prepared: Planning ahead can remove the stress from any situation. If you know you will be away from a restroom for a long time, pack any supplies you may need such as adult diapers or a change of clothes.
2. Get active: Certain pelvic exercises can help you strengthen muscles and improve symptoms.
3. Write it down: Starting a voiding diary can also help you manage your symptoms while assessing the severity of your condition.
4. Limit caffeine and alcohol: Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and consuming either one in excess can significantly increase your urgency to go.
5. Eat healthy: Choosing fresh, healthy foods can help you reduce additional weight that might be putting pressure on your bladder or urethra.

Some treatments which can be done at home include keeping a diary of drink intake, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and doing Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles.

Are you stressed out? According to the American Psychological Association’s 2015 Stress in America report, overall stress levels of American adults are rising and 51 percent cited personal health conditions as a main source of their anxiety.

A psychiatrist may be able to help get to the root of an anxiety issue, or provide coping mechanisms to combat the problem. But if urinary incontinence persists, it is time to seek help from a medical professional.

Urinary and bowel incontinence affect millions of people. Some ways to prevent incontinence include Kegel exercises, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, or staying away from certain medications. However, sometimes accidents still happen and cannot be controlled. It may then be time to consider incontinence undergarments.

For traveling, social situations, or times when a bathroom is just too far, incontinence undergarments are a good backup option. These are available at many major retailers, and come in men’s and women’s sizes. There are disposable undergarments, as well as washable versions. Newer incontinence underwear garments are less bulky or noticeable under clothing, and usually come in plus sizes.

The most common type of incontinence is stress or urge urinary incontinence. It is most common in women and can also be called overactive bladder. Urge incontinence is when urine leaks involuntarily during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising. It is also characterized by an urge to get to a bathroom while leakage is occurring.

Some tips to prevent urge incontinence include avoiding caffeine and alcohol, quitting smoking, and trying to limit intake of liquids.

Urge incontinence treatment options include:

• Kegel exercises: strengthens pelvic floor muscles and can be performed in the comfort of your own home.
• Urethral sling: a sling connected to the abdominal wall that lifts the urethra into its normal position. To learn more about urethral sling surgery, please click here.
• InterStim Therapy: a neurostimulation device that works by stimulating your body’s sacral nerves, which control bladder and bowel function. To learn more about InterStim, please click here.

Many people do not want to admit that incontinence is negatively impacting their lives. They think they can control it, or think it is normal to constantly map out a route to the closest bathroom. Take our quiz to see if incontinence is affecting you. If so, it may be time to contact the Incontinence Institute. We offer both surgical and non-surgical treatment for urge incontinence. Contact us or call our discreet, professional Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953 if you have questions or to set up an appointment.

There are different forms of incontinence – stress incontinence, bowel, and urinary – but no matter what type, they can all be isolating and humiliating. Incontinence is a physical condition but it affects emotions and one’s mental state, leading to anxiety and depression.

Incontinence interferes with quality of life and has a negative impact on those who experience it. In fact, a link has been found between incontinence and depression. Younger women who had incontinence were more likely to be the depressed, but all people who had incontinence had a higher risk of depression compared with people who do not have incontinence. Studies from the University of Adelaide in Australia, the University of Virginia, University of Washington, and published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology have found this. Depression from incontinence is another risk and negative effect of incontinence. Urinary incontinence in new moms can also increase a risk for development of postpartum depression.

Oftentimes, incontinence can lead to constant worry, avoiding social situations, and feelings of loneliness or hopelessness. Staying secluded at home to avoid accidents or potentially uncomfortable situations contributes to depression. Some people think that there is no solution to their incontinence, or that it will get better on its own. These misconceptions are all too common – but there is help.