Dr. Michael Hulse..avoid..Urinary Incontinence...do not use the vaginal mesh

How common is urinary incontinence among women?

Many women incorrectly assume that urine leakage is normal. While the problem of urine leakage is very common, it should never be considered normal. The most commonly quoted study estimates that 11 million American women currently suffer from leakage of urine. However, this estimate may be low. A study of 2800 postmenopausal women (average age 67) funded by the National Institute on Aging found that fifty-six percent of women experienced urinary incontinence at least weekly.

What causes urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a symptom, not a disease. This means that there are many possible causes of urinary incontinence. The key to treatment is identifying the specific type(s) of incontinence that a woman has through a careful medical interview and focused physical exam. It may also be necessary to perform a special test called urodynamics to diagnose the problem. Urodynamics are necessary if a woman is considering surgery to correct incontinence.
The two most common types of urinary incontinence are stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Stress incontinence is urine leakage that happens during activity that causes pressure (or "stress") on the bladder such as laughing, lifting, coughing or sneezing.
Urge incontinence is urine leakage that occurs before a woman has a chance to get to the bathroom in response to an urge to urinate. Women with this type of leakage may also experience frequent urges to urinate and frequent nighttime waking to urinate.

What treatment options are available?

Stress incontinence can be effectively treated with pelvic floor exercises, devices that "block" the loss of urine, or surgery. There is also a new medication called