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Bladder control problems in women: How to seek treatment
Recognize the warning signs of a bladder control problem. Know when you should seek a doctor's help and how you can prepare to get the most out of your visit.
By Mayo Clinic staffTalking about bladder control problems is hard. So hard, in fact, that many women live with bladder control problems for years before finally seeking treatment. You may be too shy or too ashamed to talk about your problems with anyone — even your doctor. After all, it's a highly personal matter.
But if you're one of the millions of women who experience bladder control problems, don't let embarrassment keep you from getting the help you need. Leaking urine, having to urinate frequently and experiencing other symptoms of urinary incontinence aren't trivial consequences of childbirth or a natural part of aging.
Not all doctors ask about urinary function. It's up to you to take the first step. If you have bladder control problems, tell your doctor about them and ask for help.
Why to seek help
Bladder control problems require medical attention for several reasons. Reduced bladder control may, for instance:
- Indicate a serious underlying medical condition, such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis
- Cause you to restrict your physical activities
- Lead you to withdraw from social interactions
- Increase your risk of falling if you have balance problems and you often rush to the bathroom to avoid leaking urine
When to seek help
A few isolated incidents of urinary incontinence don't necessarily require medical attention. But if the problem is frequent or affects your quality of life, you should consider treatment.
A visit with your primary care provider is definitely advisable if:
- You're embarrassed by urine leakage, and you avoid certain activities because of it.
- You often feel urgency to urinate and rush to a bathroom but sometimes don't make it in time.
- You have frequent bladder infections.
- You urinate much more frequently than you used to even when you don't have a bladder infection.
- You experience pain that's unrelated to a bladder infection when your bladder fills and when you urinate.
- You often feel the need to urinate, but you're unable to pass urine.
- You notice that your urine stream is getting progressively weaker, and you feel like you can't empty your bladder completely.
In most circumstances, effective treatment is available.
When to seek a specialist
Many health care providers can treat bladder control problems without referring you to a specialist. But not all primary care providers have the necessary training or experience. In spite of improved understanding and treatment of urinary incontinence, some practitioners consider it an inevitable consequence of childbearing, menopause or normal aging — a belief that makes them unlikely to consider treatment.
But that doesn't have to be the case. If your doctor dismisses your symptoms or seems uninformed about possible treatments, ask for referral to a specialist.
Doctors who specialize in urinary disorders include:
- Urogynecologist. This is an obstetrician-gynecologist with additional training in problems that affect a woman's pelvic floor — the network of muscles, ligaments, connective tissue and nerves that help support and control the bladder and other pelvic organs.
- Urologist. A urologist specializes in male and female urinary disorders as well as the male reproductive system.
- Geriatrician. This medical doctor specializes in the care of older adults, often with special emphasis on problems related to medications and quality-of-life issues, such as incontinence.
(1 of 2)
- Godfrey JR. Toward optimal health: Linda Brubaker, M.D., discusses urinary incontinence. Journal of Women's Health. 2005;14(5):387-390.
- Talking to your health care team about bladder control. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/pdf/talk_ez.pdf. Accessed Sept. 16, 2008.
- Norton PA. Female urinary incontinence: Epidemiology and evaluation. In: Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:870-876.
- DuBeau CE. Patient information: Urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~/0j/LeBKevVnHo. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
