Urinary Incontinence
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Melvin Ashford, MD
Urogynecologist & Cosmetic Gynecologist located in Maplewood, MN & Burnsville, MN
If you live with urinary incontinence or the periodic involuntary loss of urine, don’t hesitate to talk to Melvin Ashford, MD. He has extensive experience helping women find an effective treatment to reverse their urinary incontinence. To learn more about your treatment options, call the office in Maplewood, Minnesota, or schedule an appointment online today.
Urinary Incontinence Q & A
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence comes in a variety of forms. The two most common types of urinary incontinence are:
Stress urinary incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence occurs when pressure on your bladder causes involuntary urine loss, even if it’s a small dribble. You might experience stress urinary incontinence when you:
- Sneeze
- Laugh
- Lift something heavy
- Cough
This type of incontinence can cause stress throughout your day, always worrying that you’re going to have an unexpected accident.
Urge urinary incontinence
This type of urinary incontinence is marked by a sudden need to use the bathroom, followed by a loss of bladder control. People with urge urinary incontinence often feel stressed about being able to access the bathroom when they’re in a meeting or traveling and may wake up to use the bathroom regularly throughout the night.
Urge urinary incontinence can be caused by an overactive bladder (OAB), which occurs when your bladder muscles involuntarily contract even when your bladder isn’t full. Dr. Ashford diagnoses and treats OAB.
How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?
Dr. Ashford has a variety of tools he can use to determine if you have urinary incontinence, and, if so, what type is affecting you.
The process starts with a conversation with Dr. Ashford, during which you talk about your personal and family medical history and your bladder. He performs a physical exam and may use additional tests for his diagnosis. Those tests may include:
- A bladder stress test
- Urinalysis
- Urodynamics
- Blood tests
- Cystoscopy
Dr. Ashford has extensive experience diagnosing urinary incontinence. Once he arrives at a diagnosis, he works with you to find an effective treatment.
How is urinary incontinence treated?
It depends on what type of urinary incontinence is affecting you and what’s causing it. Dr. Ashford offers a variety of treatments. Usually, the process starts with exploring pelvic muscle exercises and bladder training. He might pair that with biofeedback so you can see how your pelvic muscles are working or electrical stimulation to strengthen muscles.
Making changes to the way you eat and losing weight can also help with urinary incontinence.
Dr. Ashford also offers:
- Medication
- Laser-based treatment (like FemiLift)
- Surgery, including urethral sling surgery
- Pessary
- Urethral inserts
- Injection-based urethral bulking treatment
- Hormone replacement therapy
Dr. Ashford has a wide variety of treatments he can explore with you to help you find relief from urinary incontinence.
To get started on urinary incontinence treatment, call the office or make your appointment with Melvin Ashford, MD, online today.
