Urinary incontinence

Experiencing urgent, frequent or painful urination? You’re not alone. According to the American Urological Association, 33 million people have these symptoms of overactive bladder, or OAB — and as many as one-third of men and women experience incontinence (leaking). A pelvic health specialist can help you identify the cause of your symptoms for targeted, effective treatment.

Bowel incontinence

If you suffer from accidental bowel leakage (ABL) you’re not alone. Tens of millions also suffer from ABL and there are steps you can take to improve your symptoms. Our pelvic health specialists can diagnose the underlying problem and help you take the first step to improving your quality of life.

Pelvic floor

Changes in the pelvic muscles can cause pain or pressure — which could be signs of pelvic organ prolapse. Prolapse occurs when an organ like the bladder or uterus leans against nearby organs. Some women experience pelvic floor disorders after pregnancy or heavy lifting. Our team of experts can help you get back to pelvic health with treatments that may include lifestyle changes, medications or surgery.

Colon & rectum

When you need specialized help for your digestive system health, you’ll experience remarkable care from the specialists at Novant Health. Our experts treat conditions that include cancer, Crohn’s disease and rectal prolapse. Our team includes specialists such as colorectal surgeons and gastroenterologists, so you can get the specialized care you need to feel better, close to home.

Uterus

When it comes to pelvic wellness for women, uterus pain is too important to ignore. Our doctors are here to provide answers and treatment common causes of pain, such prolapsed uterus and uterine fibroids (usually-benign tumors that can lengthen menstrual cycles and cause lower back pain). If you’re worried you may have a uterine condition, your care team will carefully examine your symptoms, family history and possible causes to address your concerns.

Is painful sex normal?

Sex shouldn’t hurt at any age and if you’re having sexual pain and not getting the answers you need from your doctor, seek out a credentialed sexual health clinic such as the Novant Health Women’s Sexual Health and Wellness to get the help and relief you need.

The reasons a woman might experience painful sex can vary by decade of life and be caused by a number of variables that affect a woman’s body. Pain can be triggered by medication side effects, age, hormonal changes, anatomy, trauma, mental blocks, fear other health conditions.

Your doctor can recommend which treatment is best based on your age and unique healthcare needs. Remember – you don’t have to “learn to live with” the pain!

What is libido?

Libido is a person’s overall desire for sexual activity which can be influenced by a variety of factors— mental, emotional, physical and anatomical.

What treatment exists for low libido (low sex drive)?

Our providers can help you find the right treatment for your stage of life. Your doctor will listen carefully to your concerns, order bloodwork to check factors that include hormonal levels and will recommend an approach tailored to your age and healthcare needs.

How do hormones affect my sex life?

Imbalance of hormones can affect how you feel and your mood overall. For example, perimenopausal and menopausal women can experience hot flashes and night sweats due to changing hormones. Your doctor can do bloodwork to review your hormones and decide if treatment is needed based on your age and unique healthcare needs. There are safe, effective and approved hormonal treatments or FDA-approved medications that can restore the healthy sex life you may be missing.

How do I know if I need hormone therapy to improve my libido?

Changes in your libido are not uncommon, especially as you age, and your doctor can do bloodwork to measure a panel of hormones and decide if treatment is needed based on your age and unique healthcare needs.

What is incontinence?

Incontinence is a loss of control of the bladder or bowel that results in the involuntary release of waste. This includes urinary incontinence and fecal incontinence. Rather than a specific disease, incontinence is a symptom of conditions like a urinary tract infection (UTI) or obstruction.

What is overactive bladder (OAB)?

OAB is a condition that makes urination difficult to control. Symptoms include frequent, urgent urination, loss of bladder control (urge incontinence) and excessive urination at night. While OAB is fairly common among women and older people, it’s wise to see a doctor if your symptoms interrupt your daily life. There are many ways to address OAB, including simple lifestyle changes.

Are incontinence and overactive bladder the same thing?

Short answer: no. Incontinence can be a symptom of OAB, as well as many other conditions ranging from a UTI to cancer to childbirth.

What is a bladder stone?

Bladder stones form when minerals like calcium solidify in your bladder. If you have a condition that makes it difficult to empty your bladder, you may be at increased risk of developing a bladder stone. A small bladder stone may resolve on its own, but larger stones could require treatment. See a pelvic health specialist if you experience frequent, painful or difficult urination or notice blood in your urine.

What is hematuria?

Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine. The condition can be harmless (as when caused by eating a dark-colored food like beets) or a sign of a serious medical concern. To be safe, it’s best to see a provider if your urine is an unusual color.

What is nocturia?

Nocturia is excessive overnight urination. You may have nocturia if you wake up to use the bathroom more than once during a 6-8 hour period. Nocturia is a common symptom of overactive bladder.

Changes to liquid diet

Try limiting bladder irritants such as caffeine and carbonated beverages to decrease leaks. You should also try to limit alcohol, which can increase urine production.

Exercise

Losing weight may improve bladder incontinence and not gaining weight may prevent bladder incontinence. Pelvic floor muscle, or Kegel, exercises involve strengthening pelvic floor muscles in order to hold urine in more effectively.

Medication

Your doctor may prescribe medications that relax the bladder, decrease bladder spasms or treat prostate enlargement that can cause urgency incontinence in men.

Keeping a bathroom schedule

Setting a regular schedule can give you better control. It’s possible to gradually lengthen the time between bathroom trips to help stretch the bladder so it can hold more urine.

Electrical stimulation

Electrical nerve stimulation involves altering bladder reflexes using pulses of electricity.

Surgery

When behavioral and medical treatments prove ineffective, surgery may be an option. Procedures vary based on the type of bladder incontinence you’re suffering from.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a collection of muscles and that support the bladder, bowel and uterus. It’s a part of the abdominal “core.” Pelvic floor muscles support the organs in the lower abdominal cavity and play an important role in both bowel and bladder control. Both men and women can benefit from strengthening their pelvic floor muscles.

For men, strengthening can improve urinary and bowel incontinence and many men receive pelvic floor physical therapy prior to surgery for an enlarged prostate.

For women, strong pelvic floor muscles support the correct positioning of the uterus, bowels, and bladder which is why women experiencing urinary incontinence and prolapse benefit from pelvic floor strengthening.

What causes pelvic floor disorders?

The pelvic floor can be damaged by injury (like extreme exercise), illness (like a nerve disorder) or stress (like childbirth). Causes of pelvic floor disorders are sometimes unknown — but fortunately, many treatments exist to address symptoms.

What happens when the pelvic floor is damaged?

When pelvic muscles are weakened or damaged, the organs they support can “prolapse,” meaning they fall or lean into nearby organs. Related conditions include rectal prolapse and prolapsed uterus. Symptoms can vary by which organs are affected, but pain, constipation and incontinence are common.

How are pelvic floor disorders treated?

Depending on the disorder and severity, treatment may include lifestyle changes like scheduled bathroom breaks, pelvic physical therapy, medication or surgery.

What are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are tumors (often benign, or noncancerous) that form in the uterus during a woman’s childbearing years. While fibroids don’t usually mean increased cancer risk, they can cause pain, changes in urination and heavy or longer-than-usual menstrual cycles.

What is a prolapsed uterus?

A prolapsed uterus is where the pelvic floor muscles weaken, and pelvic ligaments stretch and are no longer strong enough to hold the uterus in position. The uterus can fall into or even protrude out of the vagina.

What is rectocele surgery?

A rectocele occurs when supportive tissue between the vagina and rectum is weakened or damaged, causing the rectum to press against the vagina. Labor and childbirth are common causes. In rectocele surgery, a surgeon seeks to repair the damage by pulling together the stretched tissue to strengthen the vaginal wall.

What is colon resection?

“Resection” refers to any surgery that removes part of an organ. Colon resection, also called partial colectomy, involves removing a diseased part of the colon and joining the remaining sections. Your provider may recommend colon resection to prevent or treat colon cancer, Crohn’s disease or a related condition.