Urinary incontinence, the accidental leakage of urine, is more common than many people realize.
Whether you’re dealing with frequent urges, leaks during exercise, or a combination of both, it can take a toll on your everyday comfort and routine. The good news is that there are effective treatments that can help you regain control and confidence.
The right treatment depends on the type of incontinence you have:
- Stress incontinence happens when physical movement like coughing, laughing, or lifting causes urine to leak.
- Urge incontinence, or overactive bladder (OAB), causes a sudden, intense need to urinate, sometimes followed by leakage.
- Mixed incontinence means you experience symptoms of both.
11 Bladder Incontinence Treatments and When They Work Best
1. Pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)
Works best for stress and mixed incontinence.
These exercises target the muscles that support your bladder and urethra. Strengthening them can improve bladder control and reduce leakage. For best results, practice daily and consider working with a pelvic floor physical therapist if you’re unsure how to get started.
Works best for urge and mixed incontinence.
Bladder training helps you gradually increase the time between bathroom trips. Instead of rushing to the toilet at the first urge, you learn to delay urination. This helps your bladder hold more volume over time, reducing frequency and urgency.
3. Medications
Works best for overactive bladder and mixed incontinence.
Prescription medications can help relax the bladder muscle and reduce symptoms like urgency and frequent urination. Options include:
- Anticholinergics, such as oxybutynin or tolterodine, which relax the bladder to reduce urgency and frequency. They may cause dry mouth or constipation.
- Beta-3 agonists, like mirabegron, help the bladder hold more urine. They tend to have fewer side effects, such as dry mouth.
4. Vaginal estrogen therapy
Works best for urge and mixed incontinence in postmenopausal women.
Low-dose vaginal estrogen can improve bladder and vaginal tissue health, especially when symptoms are linked to postmenopausal dryness or irritation. It may help to reduce urgency and frequency in some women.
5. Prostate treatment for BPH-related incontinence
Works best for urge incontinence or overflow caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men.
An enlarged prostate can press against the urethra and block urine flow, leading to dribbling, urgency, and incomplete emptying. Treating the underlying BPH can significantly improve urinary control. These treatments target the prostate directly and can reduce both incontinence and other urinary symptoms without major surgery.
- Medications to relax the prostate and bladder neck muscles or decrease prostate size
- Minimally invasive procedures such as Aquablation, Rezum, GreenLight, or UroLift
6. Pessary devices
Works best for stress and mixed incontinence in women.
A pessary is a soft, removable device inserted into the vagina to help support the bladder and reduce leaks, especially during movement. It’s a nonsurgical option often used in women with pelvic organ prolapse.
7. Lifestyle changes
Works for all types of incontinence.
Simple changes can make a big difference. Cutting back on caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods can reduce bladder irritation. Maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and staying active all help support bladder health.
8. Botox injections
Works best for overactive bladder.
Botox can help calm an overactive bladder. A doctor injects it directly into the bladder muscle to reduce spasms and urgency, and results typically last 6 to 9 months.
9. Sacral neuromodulation
Works best for overactive bladder and select cases of mixed incontinence.
This treatment uses a small device, like Axonics or InterStim, implanted under the skin. These then send gentle electrical pulses to the nerves that control your bladder. It helps regulate signals and can dramatically improve urgency and leakage in people who haven’t responded to other treatments.
10. Sling surgery
Works best for stress and mixed incontinence
This procedure places a supportive sling, made of mesh or your tissue, under the urethra to prevent leaks during activity. It’s one of the most effective long-term solutions for stress incontinence, particularly in women.
11. Urethral bulking injections
Works best for stress incontinence, especially when surgery isn’t preferred.
This office-based treatment involves injecting a gel-like substance around the urethra to help it stay closed. While the results may not last as long as surgery, the procedure is quick and can be repeated when needed.
Get The Best Bladder Incontinence Treatments For You
You don’t have to live with urinary incontinence. The right treatment is out there. Call 843.347.2450 to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists to explore your options for symptom relief.