Urinary Incontinence in Women

Call your health professional if:

• You have urinary incontinence that begins suddenly (acute incontinence). Acute incontinence is often caused by urinary tract problems or medications and can be easily corrected.
• The involuntary release of urine is enough of a problem that you need to wear an absorbent pad, or if incontinence interferes with your life in any way.

Do not be embarrassed to discuss urinary incontinence with your health professional. Urinary incontinence is not an inevitable result of aging. Most women with incontinence can be helped or cured.

Watchful Waiting

If you have urinary incontinence that develops slowly (chronic incontinence), you may be able to control the problem yourself. (For more information, see the Home Treatment section in this topic.) If home treatment is not effective, or if incontinence interferes with your lifestyle, ask your health professional about other treatments.

Who To See

Health professionals who can diagnose and treat urinary incontinence include:

• Family medicine doctors.
• Physician assistants.
• Nurse practitioners.
• Obstetricians/gynecologists (OB/GYN).

Your health professional may want you to see a doctor who specializes in problems of the urinary tract (urologist) or who specializes in treating older people (geriatrician).

If you need surgery, it is important to find a surgeon who is experienced in the types of surgical procedures used to treat incontinence.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.