Double incontinence, also known as dual incontinence, occurs when an individual suffers from both bladder and fecal incontinence. This condition affects women and men equally. The incidence rate is lower than urinary or fecal incontinence in isolation. Although double incontinence tends to occur in older individuals, it is not a natural part of the aging process.

Studies have shown that for those suffering from double incontinence, quality of life is more severely affected than those who suffer from only urinary or fecal incontinence. If you are suffering from double incontinence, it is not unusual to feel embarrassed over the social stigma associated with this condition.

Urinary and fecal incontinence, in isolation or combination, are treatable conditions. If you suffer from double incontinence, the first step is to call the Incontinence Institute so we can connect you with a physician trained in treating this condition and its symptoms.

Symptoms of double incontinence are the same as those found in urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence, which can include:

• Loss of urine and stool
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Flatulence
• Irritated or itchy anus
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Bloating

At the Incontinence Institute, our physicians are trained to treat double incontinence issues. As with urinary or fecal incontinence, diagnosis begins with a thorough look at your medical history and a full physical examination. Following this step, patients will likely undergo diagnostic testing to aid in a precise diagnosis of the condition. For the convenience of our patients, diagnostic testing is typically performed onsite during the initial visit.

If you or a loved one are suffering from double incontinence, please contact us today to schedule an appointment with a physician.

Pelvic prolapse or pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the pelvic organs–the uterus, bladder, small intestine, or rectum–fall from the normal positions.These organs can shift or drop within the pelvic cavity. In severe cases, these organs can actually bulge so they appear outside the body.

According to the National Association for Continence, nearly 50 percent of women who have given birth will develop pelvic prolapse, but only 20 percent will progress to symptomology. Despite a significant impact on daily life when symptoms occur, only about half of women affected will seek medical attention.

There are a number of factors that can increase the probability of pelvic prolapse including: vaginal deliveries, a family history of prolapse, menopause, and prior pelvic surgery like a hysterectomy.

Over time, after repetitive weakening and stretching, the pelvic floor muscles can no longer hold the bladder, bowel, or uterus in their proper positions.

With more advanced prolapse, some or all of the following may occur:

• Urinary incontinence
• Lower backache
• Pressure against the vaginal wall
• Fullness in the lower part of the stomach
• Bulge in the rectum or vagina
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Problems with bowel movements such as constipation

Diagnosis begins with a thorough look at your medical history and a full physical examination. Following these steps, you will undergo testing to allow for an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis of the condition. For your convenience, initial diagnostic testing is typically performed onsite during your first visit. If more testing is required, our Medical Concierge will work with you to ensure that all appointments fit within your schedule.

If pelvic prolapse evolves and becomes symptomatic, interfering with daily life, then there are two categories of treatment available: surgical or non-surgical. Treatment options depend on the severity of the condition.

Non-surgical Treatment

The most common non-surgical treatment options for pelvic prolapse include, but are not limited to: behavioral changes like losing weight, avoiding heavy lifting, correcting a chronic cough (e.g. smoking cessation), or preventing constipation that can contribute to bowel movement straining. Although not proven, pelvic floor exercises (Kegels) done on a consistent basis may also help treat pelvic prolapse. The most common non-surgical treatment of pelvic prolapse is a pessary, which is a device worn in the vagina to help support the prolapsed organ.A physician or nurse practitioner specially fits the device to the vagina.

Surgical Treatment

If surgery is the best option for treatment of your pelvic prolapse, in most cases, this will be minimally invasive. The goal of surgery is to restore the strength and function of weakened pelvic muscles so that they can support the pelvic organs.

If you or a loved one are suffering from pelvic prolapse, please contact us today to schedule an appointment with a physician.

What is Reflex Incontinence?

Reflex incontinence, also called reflex urinary incontinence, occurs when bladder muscles involuntarily contract without warning or urge, causing urine leakage. Reflex incontinence is caused by the same type of bladder spasm as urge incontinence, but usually results in more leakage.

A person suffering from reflex incontinence has involuntary bladder contractions without feeling any urge to urinate. Reflex urinary incontinence can occur in both men and women and is usually the result of a problem with the central nervous system.

What causes Reflex Incontinence?

Reflex incontinence is commonly caused by a neurological impairment. Common causes of reflex incontinence include:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Treatment Using Radiation
• Surgical damage
• Stroke

Treatment Options for Reflex Incontinence

The first step of treatment for reflex incontinence is determining the severity of the incontinence and what may trigger it. Depending on the diagnosis, treatment options may include behavioral training, medication, medical devices, or even surgery. Read more about common treatment options for urinary incontinence.

Reflex Incontinence around Nashville, TN

If you or a loved one is suffering from accidents due to reflex incontinence, it is time to see a physician. Tests can determine the type and severity of your incontinence, and a personalized treatment plan will be created for you.

If you live in middle Tennessee, the experienced physicians at the Incontinence Institute can help. Take our free self-assessment or call our discreet Medical Concierge today to learn more about how we can help treat reflex incontinence.

Overflow urinary incontinence occurs when a person is unable to completely empty the bladder, leading to a later uncontrollable overflow. A person experiencing overflow incontinence may have difficulty starting to pee, peeing quickly, fully emptying the bladder, and may leak small or large amounts of urine. Many people with overflow incontinence experience frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) because of the urine retention.

Causes of Overflow Incontinence

Unlike other types of urinary incontinence, overflow incontinence occurs more frequently in men than women. A common cause of overflow incontinence is prostatic hyperplasia – the condition of a non-cancerous enlarged prostate.

Common causes of overflow incontinence are:

• An Enlarged Prostate
• Bladder stones
• Tumors or scar tissue
• Nerve conditions, like multiple sclerosis or brain injuries
• Medications
• Prolapse of the uterus or bladder (in women)

Some medications that may cause overflow incontinence include antidepressants, diuretics, and narcotics.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants can keep the bladder from fully contracting, which keeps it from emptying fully. This can, in turn, make symptoms of overflow incontinence even worse.

Diuretics

Diuretics flush excess water from the kidneys, making you need to use the restroom more often. If you already have symptoms of overflow incontinence, this extra volume of urine may cause significant leakage.

Narcotic painkillers

Any drugs made from opium can interfere with the ability of the bladder to fully contract. This keeps the bladder from emptying, leading to urine retention and incontinence.

Treatment of Overflow Incontinence

Treatment of overflow incontinence centers around allowing patients to fully empty their bladders. Overflow incontinence is frequently a side effect of another medical issue that doesn’t allow the bladder muscles to function properly. A doctor will run tests and will then create a treatment plan that addresses the root cause of the urine retention.

If you or a loved one is suffering from accidents due to overflow incontinence, it is time to see a physician. Tests can determine the type and severity of your incontinence, and a treatment plan will be created for you.

Don’t suffer alone with incontinence: the doctors at the Incontinence Institute in middle Tennessee can help. Take our free incontinence quiz and then contact our discreet Medical Concierge today.

Involuntary loss of urine, known as urinary incontinence, affects over 25 million Americans. In many cases, incontinence is caused by a medical problem with controlling the bladder. Functional urinary incontinence occurs when a person recognizes the need to urinate, but is unable to access a toilet due to a separate medical or environmental issue.

What are common signs of Functional Urinary Incontinence?

There are many temporary or long-term medical issues that can result in functional urinary incontinence. Some common causes of functional urinary incontinence include:

• Limited physical mobility due to handicaps like arthritis or back pain
• Cognitive issues such as dementia
• Depression or anxiety
• Impaired vision
• Environmental barriers to the restroom
• Medication side effects

The treatment goal for functional urinary incontinence is resolving the medical or environmental issue causing a person not to make it to the restroom in time.

It is possible to have another type of bladder incontinence in addition to functional incontinence. If you or a loved one are suffering from accidents due to incontinence, it is time to see a physician. They’ll perform tests to determine the type and severity of your incontinence, and create an individual treatment plan for you.

Don’t suffer alone with incontinence: the doctors at the Incontinence Institute can help. Take our free incontinence quiz and then contact our discreet Medical Concierge today.

Mixed incontinence occurs when a combination of urge incontinence and stress incontinence symptoms are present. Frequent urges to use the restroom (overactive bladder) combined with leaks during physical activity, coughing or sneezing (stress incontinence) are symptoms of mixed incontinence. This condition most commonly affects women.

Symptoms of Mixed Incontinence

Because mixed incontinence is a combination of urge and stress incontinence, it shares symptoms of both. Typically, one type is more troublesome than the other.

You may have mixed incontinence if you experience the following symptoms:

• Loss of urine associated with a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate
• Urination while sleeping
• Urination immediately after drinking small amounts of liquid

• Urination caused by sneezing, coughing or laughing
• Urination caused by exercise or heavy lifting

What Causes Mixed Incontinence?

Mixed incontinence is caused by the same factors as stress incontinence and urge incontinence.

Common causes of mixed incontinence include:

• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Injury or surgery to the rectum, prostate, or vagina
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Nerve damage

The causes of both forms of incontinence may or may not be related, and because of this, it is important to see a physician to obtain a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Mixed Urinary Incontinence Treatment

After a diagnosis, your doctor will create a personalized treatment plan. Typically, doctors will ask you to start a voiding diary to track how much you drink, when you drink, and when you urinate or have urges to urinate.

Based on the information from the voiding diary and examination by a physician, your doctor may suggest the following treatments for mixed incontinence:

• Bladder training
• Pelvic muscle exercises
• Medication
• Biofeedback Physical Therapy
• Surgery
• Botox Injections

Mixed Incontinence in Middle Tennessee

If you or a loved one is suffering from accidents due to incontinence, it is time to see a physician. If you live in middle Tennessee, the Incontinence Institute can help treat your mixed incontinence. Schedule an appointment today with our experienced team of urologists.

Urge incontinence is a type of urinary incontinence caused by bladder contractions that occur sporadically and without warning, many times in instances where a restroom is not readily available. Urge incontinence, also known as overactive bladder, most commonly occurs in older women, although it can occur in anyone.

When your body functions properly, it alerts you as the bladder fills with urine from the kidneys. As the bladder stretches, you will feel a first urge to urinate – this typically happens when there is around 1 cup of urine in the bladder. Most people can wait to use the bathroom until over 2 cups of urine are in the bladder, giving a person plenty of time to make it to a toilet.

With urge incontinence, your body doesn’t alert you early enough of the need to urinate and involuntarily contracts to release the bladder before you can reach a toilet. The bladder may involuntarily contract before it is even full, causing leakage when you don’t want it to.

What causes Urge Incontinence?

Urge incontinence or overactive bladder (OAB) can be sign of a serious underlying condition, so it’s important to visit a doctor.

Causes of urge incontinence include:

• Bladder stones
• Bladder infection
• Bladder cancer
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury
• Stroke
• Bladder obstruction
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
• Bladder inflammation

Urge Incontinence Treatment

Common techniques to treat urge incontinence include:

• Double voiding
• Dietary modification
• Bladder training
• Pelvic floor muscle exercises

If you consistently feel an uncontrollable urge to urinate, you may be experiencing urge incontinence. If you or a loved one are suffering frequent urges or accidents, it is time to see a physician. Tests can determine the type and severity of your urinary incontinence, and a customized treatment plan will be created for you.

Urge Incontinence in Middle Tennessee

If you live in middle Tennessee, Incontinence Institute can help. Schedule an appointment today with our experienced team of urologists.

Stress incontinence is caused by involuntary physical stress or pressure placed on the bladder, leading to urine leakage. For people with stress incontinence, everyday activities such as coughing, sneezing, jogging, or laughing can overwhelm the pelvic floor muscles. Stress incontinence refers to the physical stress put on the bladder, but the embarrassment that accompanies urinary incontinence frequently adds emotional stress as well.  

Stress Incontinence Symptoms

Symptoms of stress incontinence are urine leakage during everyday activities.

If you experience urine leakage during the following activities, you may be suffering from stress incontinence:

• Coughing, sneezing, or laughing
• Lifting heavy items
• Exercising – especially jogging or jumping
• Engaging in sexual intercourse

Stress Incontinence Causes

Stress incontinence is typically a side effect of injury, surgery, or childbirth, all of which can weaken the pelvic floor muscles or urethral sphincter muscles. As it is commonly caused by childbirth, stress incontinence is the most common form of urinary incontinence in women.

Common causes of stress incontinence include:

• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Pelvic surgery, including prostate surgery
• Medications
• Weakened muscles surrounding the bladder due to another medical condition

If you’re experiencing symptoms of stress incontinence, it’s important to visit a doctor, as it may be due to a serious medical condition.

Stress Incontinence Diagnosis

To diagnose you with stress incontinence, your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms and medical history, including surgeries and current medications. You may be asked to keep a voiding diary to help your doctor determine if you are suffering from stress incontinence or another form of urinary incontinence. Other tests, such as a urinalysis or cystoscopy may also be ordered by the doctor, depending on your symptoms.

Stress Incontinence Treatment

Depending on the cause and severity of your stress incontinence, your doctor may prescribe a variety of treatment options.

Treatments for stress incontinence include

• Biofeedback physical therapy
• Exercises, such as kegel exercises
• Surgery

Stress Incontinence Treatment in Middle Tennessee

If you or a loved one is suffering from leaks during physical activity, it is time to see a physician. Tests can determine the type and severity of your incontinence, and a treatment plan will be created for you.

If you live in middle Tennessee, the doctors at the Incontinence Institute can help. Contact us today to learn how we can help treat your stress incontinence.

Bladder incontinence is the inability to control the release of urine from the bladder. This common condition affects men and women of all ages, but is most common among females. There are multiple types of bladder incontinence ranging in severity.

Sufferers of bladder incontinence may experience leaking after coughing, laughing, or sneezing. This is commonly referred to as stress incontinence. Some may experience a sudden urge to go to the restroom but are unable to reach the toilet in time to void. This is referred to as urge incontinence, or more commonly, overactive bladder syndrome. Others may experience a combination of both stress and urge incontinence. To learn more about the different types of incontinence, please continue reading below.

Different types of bladder incontinence:

• Stress Incontinence Stress incontinence is an involuntary leak of urine upon physical activity such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects or exercise.
• Urge Incontinence Urge incontinence, also known as an overactive bladder (OAB), occurs when there is a sudden, uncontrolled urge to urinate.
• Mixed Incontinence Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
• Functional Incontinence Functional incontinence is typically a result of a mental disease and/or physical handicap, which prevents affected individuals from utilizing the bathroom in time.
• Overflow Incontinence Overflow incontinence occurs when you lack the ability to completely empty your bladder resulting in the unexpected release of urine into the undergarments.
• Reflex incontinence Reflex incontinence is a variation of urge incontinence in which you may experience uncontrollable urination with a complete lack of urge to urinate.