ST. LOUIS - It’s estimated that bladder issues, such as overactive bladder and stress incontinence, affect at least 1/3 of the U.S. population. Travis Bullock, MD, a urologist with Urology of St. Louis specializing in female urology, said while these conditions may be common, they are not a normal part of aging and are easily treatable.
“Bladder issues are often an embarrassing subject for people to bring up to their doctor but it can become a quality of life concern when left untreated,” said Dr. Bullock. “I see many patients who completely change their behaviors and activities due to bladder leakage or overactive bladder concerns. We want people to understand that there are many simple treatment options available that are safe and highly effective. A lot of these issues can be dealt with non-surgically, sometimes even without medications.”
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
To help raise awareness about these common conditions, Dr. Bullock and Dr. Elizabeth Williams will be holding two free webinars this month to help educate people on urinary incontinence and overactive bladder symptoms and treatments. The free webinar will be held on November 16 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Those interested can go to stlurology.com/upcoming-webinars/ to register.
Urinary incontinence, or bladder leakage, can vary from a slight loss of urine after sneezing, coughing or laughing to a complete inability to control urination. Treatment options depend on the degree of severity and can range from bladder training exercises, diet and fluid changes, pelvic floor exercises, injectable treatments, or simple, outpatient surgery procedures.
Overactive bladder, also called OAB, causes a frequent and sudden urge to urinate that may be difficult to control. People with overactive bladder typically wake up multiple times in the night to urinate and often need to urinate eight or more times in 24 hours. Treatment options include ruling out other underlying health conditions such as diabetes or urinary tract infections.
Dr. Bullock also recommends removing bladder irritants, such as caffeine and alcohol, which force your kidneys to make more urine. Medications, nerve stimulation, and injectable options such as bladder Botox treatments are also available when lifestyle changes aren’t effective.
USL offers treatment for a wide range of urological conditions including prostate cancer, pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, sexual health, benign prostatic hyperplasia, kidney stones, kidney cancer, vasectomies, and erectile dysfunction. For more information about their telehealth services or to find a list of locations, visit their website at stlurology.com/ or email at info@stlurology.com.
More like this:
