STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE

Stress Urinary Incontinence is a condition in which patients face uncontrolled urine leakage. When you laugh, exercise, cough, sneeze, or lift an object, there is a sudden pressure on the bladder and urethra that opens your sphincter muscles for a while, causing urine leakage. In severe conditions, leakage occurs when you stand up, walk, or bend over.

One out of every three women faces this condition at least once. The condition usually increases with age if left untreated. They negatively impact physical activity as well as your relationships. However, there are simple ways to treat this condition effectively.

Causes of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Pelvic floor muscles, the urinary sphincter muscles, control your bladder. In normal circumstances, the pelvic muscles hold the bladder up. On the other hand, the sphincter muscles squeeze to seal the urethra when the bladder is full. When these two muscles become weak, it leads to the development of stress urinary incontinence.

Here’s how the following circumstances can lead to SUI:

Pregnancy

Natural Child Birth

Chronic Cough or Constipation

Neurogenic or Genetic Factors

Menopause

Surgical Procedures

Obesity

Pregnancy

Natural Child Birth

Chronic Cough
or Constipation

Neurogenic or Genetic
Factors

Menopause

Surgical Procedures

Obesity

Symptoms of Stress Urinary Incontinence

The key symptom of SUI is urine leakage during a certain activity that increases pressure on your bladder. This leakage may range from a few drops to even tablespoons, depending on the severity of the condition.

If you have mild SUI, leakage may be relatively lesser and caused due to the following activities:

Coughing

Sneezing

Exercising

Laughing

In severe conditions, the most basic movements of walking, standing up, and bending over can cause urine leakage.

You may not face a leakage every time you cough or laugh. However, if you face it more than once a day, it is recommended that you speak to your doctor right away.

Diagnosis of SUI

Usually, your doctor can tell from the symptoms alone whether or not you have stress urinary incontinence. They may also be able to tell the severity of the condition based on what you’ve faced. However, a few more things will be checked at the clinic for a more accurate diagnosis.

Following are some ways of measuring the severity of SUI with accuracy:

Checking for Leakage During Certain Movements

The doctor may ask you to cough, bend, step down, walk, or do any other exercise that may increase pressure on your bladder when it’s full. This may be based on the movements that have caused urine leakage for you so far.

Trans Vaginal Scan
– Sonography

This is an ultrasound test of the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and bladder. It is usually performed on an empty or partially filled bladder.

Bladder Diary or Frequency Volume Chart

The doctor may ask you to note how much water you drink, how often you pass urine, the volume of urine you pass every time, and how many times you experience leakage. You might have to do it as long as your treatment continues.

Kegel Test

In this test, the doctor checks your abdomen, organs in the pelvis region, and your rectum. They may ask you to squeeze your pelvic and sphincter muscles to check their strength.

Urine Test

You may be asked to provide a urine sample at a pathological lab. They usually test for any infection in the urinary tract through this test.

How We Treat SUI

BLISSed is a clinic for cosmetic gynecology where we use laser procedures to treat stress urinary incontinence. It is a safe, non-invasive, pain-free, and effective way of treating the condition.

The number of sessions you need depends on the severity of SUI. For a mild condition, a single session may suffice. On average, patients need four sessions till they are completely healed.

Here’s how it works:

We use a laser diode of 1470 nm that helps us achieve a deep thermal effect.
This helps to rejuvenate tissues and the contraction of elastin fibres.
It thickens the vaginal walls, which helps in treating the area around the urethra.
As a result, after each session, the patient feels a significant improvement in her condition.
After each session, the patient must rest for 4-6 days, after which she can resume normal activities.
The procedure is non-invasive, pain-free, and free of side effects.
It permanently cures urine leakage, improving sensation, orgasm, and vaginal dryness.