Urinary Incontinence in Women!

Involuntary and sudden urine loss in women is termed as urinary incontinence. Some of the contributory factors to urinary incontinence are menopause, pregnancy and childbirth.

Types:
There are seven types of urinary incontinence.

1. Stress incontinence: If normal physical movements like sneezing, coughing and exercising cause small amounts of urine to leak out, it is called 'stress incontinence'.
2. Urge incontinence: If large amounts of urine leak out during unexpected and at odd times, like during sleeping, it is called 'urge incontinence'.
3. Overactive Bladder: This is characterized by frequent and urgent urination, along with urge incontinence or not.
4. Functional incontinence: If external deterrents or physical disabilities like not being able to find a toilet, leads to sudden leakage of urine, it is called 'functional incontinence'.
5. Overflow incontinence: A full bladder, at times, leads to unexpected leakage. This is called 'overflow incontinence'.
6. Mixed incontinence: Whenever urge and stress incontinence occur together, it is categorized as 'mixed incontinence'.
7. Transient incontinence: When urine leakage occurs due to temporary situations like infections or new medications, it is called 'transient incontinence'.

Causes:

Urinary incontinence is not a disease; it is a symptom. Infections, diabetes, or other medical conditions can cause incontinence. If incontinence is temporary, the causes might be any or all of the following:

1. Urinary tract infection
2. Over consumption of alcohol
3. Constipation
4. Too much caffeine intake
5. Consuming carbonated drinks
6. Decaffeinated coffee and tea
7. Use of artificial sweeteners
8. Foods which are too spicy, acidic or sugary
9. Corn syrup
10. Being on sedatives, muscle relaxants, blood pressure and heart medications
11. High doses of vitamin B and vitamin C

However, if incontinence is persistent, the symptoms might be different:

1. Pregnancy: During pregnancy, hormonal changes and weight gain in the body can cause incontinence.
2. Childbirth: Normal vaginal delivery weakens muscles that control the bladder, thus leading to incontinence.
3. Age: The bladder muscles weaken with age which, in turn, affects the bladder urine holding capacity.
4. Menopause: The levels of "oestrogen" hormone drop with the onset of menopause. Oestrogen keeps the lining of the urethra and bladder healthy. The gradual damage of the bladder tissues leads to incontinence.
5. Hysterectomy: The bladder and uterus are supported by the same ligaments and muscles. Surgery deteriorates the pelvic floor muscles, thus removing the uterus can lead to incontinence.
6. Obstruction: Tumours in the urinary tract can block the normal urine flow. This causes overflow incontinence.
7. Neurological disorders: Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumours, strokes or spinal injury can cause incontinence.

Treatment

1. Pelvic floor exercises: Pelvic floor muscles help in holding urine and when these muscles get weakened due to pregnancy or because of being overweight, leakage occurs. You have to carry out several exercises for improving the symptoms. Doing this exercise on a regular basis will prevent leakage and stop the existing leakage. These exercises are useful when you have a sudden urge for urination, and they involve the relaxation and contraction of the pelvic floor muscles.
2. Less liquid consumption: Leakages are more likely to occur when the bladder is full and drinking any kind of liquid will make you feel like urinating. You must limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine as these cause the urine to increase. 
3. Bathroom schedule: In case you have to visit the bathroom too often or frequently, you must try to increase the time between bathroom visits. You have to practice bladder training along with pelvic floor exercises. Slowly, you will be able to reduce your bathroom visits.
4. Wearable devices: You can use wearable devices for placing support in the vagina as these prevent leakage. You may be fitted with a silicon device known as a pessary. Tampons can be used for the prevention of leaks as well. Tampons are recommended for women who leak during activities such as running. For preventing shock syndrome, the tampon should be changed every six hours.
5. Weight loss: Obesity and extra weight cause urinary incontinence as these put extra pressure on the bladder or the urethra, which is the tube which starts from the bladder. This is associated with stress incontinence and leaks due to sneezing, coughing, lifting or laughing. Heavier women are more likely to face this problem and weight loss can help in managing the same.
6. PRP Treatment: In Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment blood is extracted from the body, then platelet-rich plasma is separated from other components in the blood, thus, activating the growth factors and then the solution is deposited in the specific tissues. Most women experience significant improvement in urinary incontinence within the first week of treatment.
7. ThermiVa is a non-surgical, safe, and a non-invasive method for rejuvenation and tightening of vaginal and labia. It is a form of energy treatment that uses heat therapy through Radio Frequency (RF) waves that boost collagen synthesis, tightening, and shrinkage of female genital tissues. Women who suffer from vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, vaginal laxity, prolapse, and/or orgasmic dysfunction due to a change in the levels of hormones or after childbirth can get it treated with ThermiVa. ThermiVa is the first thermal-controlled and non-surgical radio frequency method to reduce symptoms related to such gynecological conditions.

Procedure

The treatment involves the device with the temperature raised up to 65 degree Celsius which revolves inside the vagina and hence massaging it. It uses HIFU, i.e., High- Intensity Focused Ultrasound waves, which encourages collagen production in the vagina. It is an extremely versatile method which is also used in the treatment of prostate cancer and facelifts. The best part of the treatment is that the treatment requires no downtime as the procedure is painless. ThermiVa also helps in improving sexual pleasure. In the treatment, therapeutic radio frequency is used for the tightening of labia and the vaginal canal. The ThermiVa
treatment has been repeatedly compared to a warm and gentle massage.

When is Treatment Done?

It is a feminine rejuvenation treatment which can be used by women for reversing the after effects of childbirth and aging. This treatment is undertaken by women who are not convinced with the appearance of the labia, who suffer from vaginal laxity, who have orgasmic problems or even those who are suffering from sexual dissatisfaction. The treatment is also ideal for the women who are suffering from pelvic prolapse or vaginal dryness. ThermiVa treatment is suitable for women with urinary incontinence.

Recovery

This treatment takes up only half an hour. The person may resume her daily activities immediately after this treatment. Therefore, no time is needed to retrieve from this treatment afterwards.

Side Effects

A device used for vaginal rejuvenation and treat the problems associated with vaginal or menopause conditions such as urinary incontinence may not be completely safe and secure. The therapy which involves applying energy-based treatments to the vagina might lead to serious negative effects, such as vaginal burning, pain at the time of sexual intercourse, vaginal scarring, and recurring/chronic pain. But these occurrences are extremely rare and if observed, should immediately be reported to the doctor.

Cost of the Treatment

Cost of ThermiVa treatment in India can range anywhere between INR 50,000 and INR 1 lakh depending upon the patient's condition.

Takeaway

ThermiVa is a non-surgical and safe method for vaginal and labia rejuvenation and tightening. It is a form of energy treatment that uses heat therapy to boost collagen synthesis in female genital tissues. Moreover, it significantly helps in the treatment of urinary incontinence in women.