5 Essential Reasons Why Women Should See A Urologist

Urologists are not only specialists for men but also providers of essential medical services for women. Trained to treat urinary tract problems both medically and surgically, urologists offer the best treatment for bladder control issues and other disorders of the female urinary tract and reproductive system. So when faced with urological issues at any stage of life, women may need to see these doctors for quick resolution of the problems. In fact, women should consider seeing urologists when having frequent urges to urinate, leaking urine, pain in the sides or back, bloody urine, and burning or pain during urination. The 5 essential reasons why women should see a urologist are:

1. Overactive bladder

Characterized by a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate, waking more than once at night to urinate and urinating 8 or more times in 24 hours, overactive bladder affects many women of all ages and has several potential causes. Since treatment for the condition is dependent on the identified cause, it is important to see a urologist to carry out tests in order to determine the cause and recommend the best treatment. At St. Pete Urology in St. Petersburg, doctors use specialized testing and recommend personalized treatment for women with overactive bladder.

2. Urinary incontinence

Bladder control problems can affect women of all ages and are a very common issue. By definition, urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control which can lead to accidental leakage of urine. For example, women with urinary incontinence (UI) have trouble holding urine, particularly when they cough, sneeze or exercise. Caused by obesity, pregnancy later in life, childbirth and even menopause, UI affects roughly 57 percent of women between the age of 40 and 60. Treatments for the condition include exercises for strengthening pelvic muscles, medication, implanted devices, injections and surgery.

3. Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Even though urinary tract infections commonly occur in women and can be quickly treated with antibiotics and other measures, recurrent infections may be a sign of a larger issue requiring the attention of a urologist. Women experiencing two or more urinary tract infections in 6 months, or even three or more UTIs in one year should see a urologist to explore the possibility of having a recurrent problem. The urologist will diagnose the issue using kidney scans, culture test and other tests, identify the actual cause of the recurrent infection, and recommend effective treatment for breaking the series of recurrent infections.

4. Kidney stones

While kidney stones are a more common problem in men than women, about 7 percent of women will have kidney stones at some stage of their life. There is a higher risk for a woman to develop kidney stones if she does not drink enough water, frequently eats meals high in protein, takes medicines that can cause kidney stones as a side effect, has had a stone before, has certain diseases, or is over 50. The stones can form in the bladder, ureters or kidneys and may be passed out on their own with high fluid intake or removed through different treatment options. If you are a woman experiencing extreme pain on your back, side, lower abdomen, groin, or pain during urination, vomiting, nausea or blood in urine, please visit St. Pete Urology in St Petersburg for immediate help.

5. Fallen bladder and bladder cancer

The bladder is usually held in position by the pelvic floor. But when the pelvic floor is stretched or weakened, particularly due to aging, menopause, obesity or prior pelvic surgery, the bladder may drop into the vagina, resulting in complications such as overactive bladder, urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence. Pelvic floor prolapse (also called fallen bladder or cystocele) can be corrected either surgically or nonsurgically by placing a pessary in the vagina to hold up the organs. Apart from fallen bladder, urologists are also recommended to treat bladder and kidney cancer.

Conclusion

If you are experiencing symptoms such as blood in urine, frequent urination, burning or pain when urinating, or pelvic pain, call or visit St. Peter Urology for help. Our urologists offer top-of-the-line comprehensive urological services to women and are committed to patient satisfaction. Evaluation of urological conditions includes a complete patient history, medical exam, urodynamics (bladder EKG), imaging, cytoscopy and all necessary lab tests. For more information on the treatment of urological conditions in women, visit the site, St Pete Urology.

Why is InterStim Therapy Effective against Overactive Bladder?

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to urinate, a frequent need to pass urine during the day and night, accidental urine leakage, and inability to get to the bathroom in time due. This condition greatly affects quality of life by having life revolve around uncontrollable urination problems. Those afflicted avoid social functions due to fear of urine leaks, foul smell and embarrassment, wake up too many times at night to urinate, stay home to avoid public shame, or reduce food and liquid consumption to avoid triggering bladder spasms. While there are several treatment options for OAB that include medications and pelvic floor exercises, a number of patients either do not respond to these treatments or find them intolerable. For such patients, InterStim therapy offers the best hope for controlling the bladder, relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.

How Does the InterStim Procedure Relieve Overactive Bladder?

InterStim therapy is a proven, minimally invasive treatment for overactive bladder. It helps to relieve the symptoms of OAB by delivering electrical impulses to the sacral nerves (found in the tailbone area), modifying abnormal reflexes in the pelvic and sacral nerves of the pelvic floor and bladder, and altering abnormal communications between the brain and bladder. The InterStim device is implanted under the skin around the location of the sacral nerves (upper buttock) so that mild electrical impulses are generated for stimulating the sacral nerves, correcting malfunctioning nerves and improving bladder control. In fact, InterStim therapy interrupts the abnormal signals transmitted in people with overactive bladder and reduces episodes of urinary incontinence.

Why is InterStim Therapy Effective against Overactive Bladder?

Unlike other therapies, the effectiveness of InterStim therapy can be assessed by physicians and patients through a test evaluation stage before commitment to long-term therapy. Roughly 80% of patients who undergo test evaluation have a successful response and can proceed to have the InterStim device implanted. According to studies, patients with successful trial stimulation will experience 50%-90% improvement in overactive bladder symptoms after the implant has been placed. In fact, people with overactive bladder have reported significant improvements in the number of incontinence episodes per week, with the majority of patients being completely free of incontinence after InterStim therapy. There is also a major reduction in the number of times patients urinate per day after treatment, while almost all patients report improvement in quality of life after InterStim procedure.

InterStim therapy is minimally invasive in nature and completely safe and reversible. Therefore, the patient can discontinue it any time it fails to meet expectations. It also does not prevent the use of alternative treatments and can easily be combined with any other treatment for a better outcome. If you or your loved one is suffering from overactive bladder and find other treatments ineffective or intolerable, do not hesitate to ask your urologist about InterStim therapy. For more information on treating urological problems, visit St Pete Urology.

Women’s Health: Do Women See A Urologist?

It is a common mistake to believe that only men see urologists. In fact, women are more likely than men to have a urinary problem at some stage of life. When it comes to a condition affecting the urinary tract, bladder or kidneys, a urologist is the expert who can offer the best treatment. Urologists see women, men and children to treat common disorders of the urinary system.

Women’s Urological Conditions

(a) Overactive bladder: A woman with an overactive bladder experiences a sudden, frequent or hard-to-control urge to urinate, wakes up more than once at night to urinate, or urinates eight or more times in 24 hours. A urologist will perform various tests to diagnose the disorder and then recommend treatment according to the cause.

(b) Urinary incontinence: Characterized by a loss of bladder control that often results in accidental leakage of urine, urinary incontinence affects up to 57% of women between 40-60 years and requires the attention of a urologist.

(c) Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Urinary tract infections can cause serious complications if they spread to the kidney. They require prompt and effective treatment. Since women are more susceptible than men to UTIs because of their anatomy, they should see a urologist if they have frequent or persistent infections.

(d) Fallen bladder: Because the bladder is held in position by the pelvic floor, it may drop onto the vagina when the pelvic floor is weakened or stretched due to obesity, menopause, aging or prior pelvic surgery. A woman should see a urologist with experience in female urology to correct a fallen bladder.

(e) Painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis): Interstitial cystitis (IC) comes with lower belly and bladder discomfort, a feeling that the bladder is always full, and a sudden and severe urge to urinate (even up to 60 times per day), which can interfere with everyday activities. Some women have been forced to skip social events or avoid travelling away from home, while some find sex uncomfortable or painful due to the condition. Women who have the disorder need to see a urologist.

(f) Urinary stones: Urinary stones are hard masses that form in the kidneys, bladder or ureters. While drinking 2-4 quarts of water in 24 hours may help to move a urinary stone, a urologist can break them apart with ultrasound-based treatment or remove them surgically.

(g) Cancer: Women can have cancer in the bladder, bladder lining, kidneys or urethra. The cancer may show signs such as pain during urination, lower back pain, blood in urine and frequent visits to the bathroom. Seeing a urologist may help to detect and treat the cancer early.

Ideally, women should see a urologist when experiencing:

  • Pelvic pain
  • Burning sensation or discomfort when urinating.
  • Frequent urination
  • Blood in urine
  • Pain in the back or sides
  • Leaking urine

At St Pete Urology, we have specialized urology services that cater to the unique needs of women. We deal with many urological conditions affecting women, including incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, bladder infection, overactive bladder, kidney stones and cancer. Male or female, feel free to contact St Pete Urology when you have a urine or bladder issue.

What is Overactive Bladder?

It is easy to guess what the term “Overactive Bladder” means. The bladder is generally associated with the containment of urine until it is passed out of the body. An overactive bladder results in the frequent, involuntary or unexpected release of urine and can cause someone to avoid social interactions they would normally have enjoyed.