Dr. David Bailey

The Center for Continence Services is the first of its kind in St. Clair County. Dr. David Bailey, OB/GYN and Kari Zimmerman, nurse practitioner, oversee the Center to diagnose and treat patients by offering exercise, lifestyle changes, medication or surgery.

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What would you do?

You are a healthy woman who denies any urinary frequency or urgency. You notice that you lose small amounts of urine with physical activity such as playing tennis or golf or while running. You wear a pad when participating in these activities.

Ask yourself these questions

• How many times during the last week did you accidentally leak urine with:
- Sneezing, coughing, lifting, or exercising?
- A feeling of strong, sudden need to pass your urine that did not allow you to get to the toilet fast enough?

• Have you experienced frequent episodes of incontinence? Have you ever felt loss of control, fear, frustration, and shame...or missed outings, trips or other activities for fear of incontinence?

You’re Not Alone!

More than 13 million people in the United States experience incontinence. Women are twice as likely as men to experience incontinence due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract. Incontinence may also be caused by infection, the use of certain medications or the result of neurological damage from a stroke or other illnesses.

Surveys have shown that women tend to accept incontinence as their personal burden, while men understand that this is not normal and should be treated. Urinary Incontinence affects millions of people...Yet, treatment is available.

Incontinence is the complete involuntary leakage of urine. Women of any age may experience a variety of health concerns including urinary incontinence or other bladder problems.

Types of Incontinence

Stress Incontinence – results when movement puts pressure on the bladder. Leaking can be triggered by laughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects or exercise. This is the most common type of incontinence. It may be caused by the weakening of the muscles that hold the bladder.

Urge Incontinence – is the loss of bladder control accompanied by a strong urge to urinate. A person experiencing this is unable to hold urine long enough to make it to a bathroom. This is also know as Overactive Bladder. It may be caused by a urinary tract infection or other causes.

Overflow Incontinence  – occurs when the bladder will not empty completely causing an overflow and leaking of urine. Weak bladder muscles, nerve damage or a blocked urethra may be the cause.

Fecal Incontinence – unable to control passage or loss of gas, liquid, and or solid stool.

If you are experiencing any form of incontinence, St. John River District Hospital can help diagnose and treat your problem.

Diagnosis

During your visit to the center, our trained staff will ask you about your symptoms, medical history and will perform a physical exam. The exam will look for any physical causes, such as blockages or nerve problems. A variety of tests may be used to help with diagnosis:

• Urinalysis
• Stress test
• Blood test
• Ultrasound
• Cystoscopy
• Urodynamic test

Treatment

Once a diagnosis is made, your physician and nurse practitioner can determine which treatment would work best for your type of incontinence. These treatments may include pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and sphincter muscles, behavioral techniques which may include bladder retraining, pelvic muscle rehabilitation, medication therapy, devices or surgical treatment. Sometimes more than one method of treatment is utilized.

St. John River District Hospital is dedicated to the diagnosis and management of urinary incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. From exercise to lifestyle changes or medication to surgery, St. John River District Hospital has trained and certified Gynecologists to help you to find a personalized treatment plan.