My doctor told me I have incontinence... now what?

"You have urinary incontinence."

Hearing these words from your doctor can bring out all kinds of feelings and questions. You may be feeling embarrassed, angry, afraid, and alone. You may also have questions about incontinence, how it will affect your work and social life, and where to go for help.

It may help to know that you're not alone: over 3 million Canadians of all ages have incontinence. But you may feel alone because most people are too embarrassed to talk about it - only 26% of people with incontinence ask their doctor for help. So congratulate yourself on having the courage to speak up! By talking to your doctor and getting a diagnosis, you're on the road to taking control of your incontinence.

Here are a few "next steps" to help you cope with your diagnosis and get your life back.
Educate yourself. Learn all you can about urinary incontinence and the management options available to you.
Here are the answers to frequently asked questions for people newly diagnosed with urinary incontinence:

• Can it be treated? Yes. There are many treatments available to help manage your incontinence so that you can get on with your life.
• Will everybody know? No. With the new discreet treatment and management options available, no one will know about your incontinence unless you decide to tell them.
• Is this the end of my social life? Definitely not! You can still enjoy an active social life. Just be prepared: follow your treatment plan, consider using absorbent products for leakage protection, and have an emergency kit (containing extra clothes and absorbent products) to deal with leaks.
• How will this affect my relationship with my partner? Your relationship could become stronger than ever as you work together to cope with incontinence. The first step is to share your feelings and concerns with your partner.
• Will it be an issue at work? With a proper management plan, it shouldn't be. As with social occasions, it's all a matter of being prepared.
• Where can I get help? Talk to your doctor about available support groups and consider confiding in trusted friends and family so they can offer their support.

Talk to your doctor about your treatment plan. Discuss your treatment and management options with your doctor and work with your doctor to choose a treatment plan that will work for your lifestyle.
Get back to your usual activities. When you first found out you had urinary incontinence, you may have scaled back on your social life and physical activities. But incontinence shouldn't get in the way of the things you enjoy. Once you have a treatment plan in place, you can go back to your usual activities.
Find support. Talk to your partner or a trusted friend about what you're going through. You can also join an incontinence support group or online community.

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Incontinence in women often goes under-diagnosed

By Dwight Dyksterhouse, M.D. • Special to The Press • February 16, 2011

Urinary incontinence (uncontrolled loss of urine) is a very common problem affecting millions of women. This condition is frequently under-diagnosed and under-reported because it is such a sensitive issue. Studies show that approximately 25 percent of women in the United States between the ages of 30 and 59 deal with some form of urinary incontinence.

Although incontinence is not necessarily a natural part of aging, it can be the result of many years of changes in the body, especially in women. Common risk factors include childbirth, improper lifting of heavy objects at work and at home, chronic constipation, or the loss of estrogen after menopause. Some other risk factors include:
n Being older than 65
n Obesity
n Previous hysterectomy or urethral surgery
n Diabetes, stroke or Multiple Sclerosis
All of these factors over time can contribute to a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles that surround the openings of the urethra, vagina, and anus), leading to poor bladder control. This makes middle-aged or older women especially prone to this type of urinary incontinence.

Urge incontinence is a loss of bladder control following a strong urge to urinate. The person is not able to hold urine long enough to make it to a restroom. This is also known as overactive bladder. There are also some medications that may be prescribed to relax the bladder muscles and may help with urge incontinence.




Stress incontinence is characterized by the accidental loss of urine during a sudden movement such as coughing, sneezing, lifting or engaging in physical activity. Stress incontinence can be frustrating and embarrassing, causing women to limit their activity and lifestyle. For stress incontinence, many women get good results from using Kegel exercises and other behavioral and lifestyle changes, or medical devices called pessaries.


Physical therapists can use various methods to help clients correct pelvic floor weaknesses, including biofeedback techniques and electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles. For difficult-to-treat cases, surgery can help support weakened muscles related to bladder function. Newer surgical techniques are usually minimally invasive and offer quicker recovery times. Surgical treatment should only be considered only after thorough medical evaluation and determining the exact cause of a woman's urinary incontinence.


In most cases, incontinence can be successfully treated with non-surgical techniques. Unfortunately, many women suffer in silence with incontinence because they may be too embarrassed to discuss this problem with their physician or fearful that surgery is the only treatment option. Incontinence is not necessarily something that a person must learn to accept or just "live with."

Dwight Dyksterhouse is an obstetrician/gynecologist at Aurora Sheboygan Clinic