Diagnosis of Incontinence
There are several tests that a doctor might perform in order to diagnose urinary incontinence. One of the things that a physician might ask a patient to do is keep a bladder diary. He will ask an individual to write down the amount of liquid intake, when they go to the restroom and the quantity of urine that is discharged. They will also ask the patient to write down how many instances of involuntary bladder leakage that occurs and how many times that they have had the urge to urinate.

The doctor might also perform on a patient is a urinalysis, which is when a sample of a person’s urine is sent for testing. Specialists might check the urine for signs of a urinary tract infection, cystitis or other types of infections that could occur.

To diagnose the disorder, a doctor could also order blood tests. A patient’s blood is examined for certain chemicals or other things that might cause overflow incontinence, such as a bladder infection.

Treatment of Incontinence
Fortunately, an overactive bladder is very treatable. A patient can try many behavioral procedures, as well as physical therapy. Some patients might only need behavioral methods. The doctor might advise bladder training. This consists of training a bladder to postpone urinary until after a person gets the urge to urinate. Each time an individual feels that they need to go to the bathroom, they should try to hold it for 10 to 15 minutes. The purpose for doing this is to try to extend the time between bathroom visits until a person is urinating every few hours.

Another method that might be effective is scheduled toilet trips. An individual will use the bathroom at a scheduled time, rather than waiting until they need to go. It is a routine that is planned, and the person usually urinates every few hours.

A doctor might recommend physical therapy for incontinence. The might suggest pelvic muscle floor exercises to strengthen their kidney and urologic muscles. To perform these exercises, also called Kegal Exercises, the person squeezes the muscles that they use in order to cease the flow of urine. 

Electrical stimulation is another form of physical therapy. This is when electrodes are placed in an individual’s rectum or vagina to motivate the pelvic muscles. It takes awhile for this to work.

Certain medications might also be used simultaneous to behavioral techniques and physical therapy. Anticholinergics, topical estrogen, imipramine or duloxetine are common medications that are used to treat the problem.

Urinary continence should not keep individuals from performing their daily tasks. Patients should consult their doctor to get help for urinary incontinence.