Bladder issues

Treatment options for bladder issues

Treatment and prevention options depend on your specific issue, risk factors, lifestyle habits, and medical history. Options include:

  • Lifestyle changes: Losing weight (if you are overweight) and eating a healthy diet can improve your overall health and decrease bladder issues. Other useful lifestyle changes include drinking cranberry juice, plenty of water, and fewer caffeinated beverages.
  • Bladder training: This treatment plan for incontinence and excessive urination involves increasing your ability to hold urine. It includes practicing Kegel exercises and urinating on a schedule.
  • Medication: Doctors often prescribe antibiotics to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. Other medications can decrease your urge to urinate and relax the muscles and nerves that affect your bladder.
  • Medical devices: Certain devices deliver electric current to specific nerves and muscles in the urinary tract. Health care providers sometimes use them to treat an overactive bladder.
  • Surgery: Doctors may use surgery (such as bladder suspension or incontinence sling surgery) to correct bladder issues if other treatments do not provide sufficient relief.

Do not be shy or embarrassed to discuss urinary concerns. With appropriate diagnosis and personalized treatment, many women are able to resume their usual activities and enjoy complete bladder health.

Dignity Health offers personalized care for bladder issues in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Prevention options for bladder issues

Your treatment and prevention options depend on the severity of urinary incontinence, as well as your medical history, lifestyle, and personal preferences. Your doctor may discuss options, including:

  • Lifestyle modifications: Losing weight (if you are overweight) can improve incontinence. Decreasing the amount of water you drink near bedtime and avoiding caffeine and alcohol can also help. Performing Kegel exercises can strengthen the muscles around the bladder and urethra and improve urinary control. Your doctor can teach you how to do Kegel exercises.
  • Bladder training: Bladder training can gradually improve your ability to hold and retain urine.
  • Medication: Doctors can prescribe medication to control muscles spasms, relax the bladder, and decrease the urge to urinate.
  • Medical devices: Specially designed medical devices that deliver electric current to specific nerves and muscles of the urinary tract are sometimes used to treat incontinence.
  • Surgery: Surgery is also an option to treat incontinence, particularly when other treatments have failed to provide sufficient relief.

Together, you and your doctor will find the treatment that works best for you.

Dignity Health provides understanding care and treatment for urinary incontinence in Arizona, California, and Nevada.