Change Country
Global
 

Treatments - Bladder problems 

Tip Print Share
There are different options available to help control bladder problems. These include:
  • lifestyle changes  
  • pelvic floor exercises  
  • bladder training 
  • medication 
  • surgery 
  • catheters
  • products that capture urine, such as urisheaths, pads and diapers
Lifestyle changes
For some people, avoiding problems can be as simple as making a few lifestyle changes, such as modifying diet and fluid intake.

Pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises
These exercises are designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and close the sphincters. Two different exercises are recommended:

  1. Slowly contract and lift the pelvic floor muscles and hold the position for five seconds 
  2. Quickly contract and release the pelvic floor muscles 
You need to do the exercises regularly and it may take several months before you see a significant improvement. Women can also do pelvic floor exercises using vaginal weights.

Bladder training 
Bladder training aims to gradually stretch the bladder so that it can hold larger and larger volumes of urine – and the ultimate goal is to increase the time between each urination to 3-4 hours. The technique involves urinating at planned intervals of increasing duration. It requires determination and is most successful if symptoms are mild.

Medication
Drugs are prescribed for all types of incontinence, but they are generally most useful for urge incontinence, particularly when combined with pelvic floor exercises and bladder training.

Medication that may be prescribed includes anticholinergics, alpha blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, the antidepressant imipramine and antibiotics.

Stress incontinence is usually managed without medication. 

Surgery
A variety of surgical procedures are available for the treatment of bladder problems. Deciding which procedure, if any, you use depends on the type and cause of incontinence. Some of the surgical options include:

  • fitting an artificial sphincter 
  • conducting a sling procedure 
  • creating a urinary diversion – this involves storing the diverted urine in a reservoir created from a small piece of the intestine. The urine is drained through a stoma (a special opening in the lower abdomen), through a catheter or into a collecting bag   

Management products  A number of products are available that help to manage bladder problems.

Quick contact

You can contact us by completing the form below
or telephoning us.

Your Name* Email*
Enquiry*
Max 500 words
Send
Coloplast Canada
1-877-820-7008

Quick contact
1-877-820-7008