Not only is the month of November the time to welcome cooler temperatures, pumpkin spice lattes, and Thanksgiving it is also National Bladder Health Awareness Month. It is time to speak out about bladder health conditions and incontinence. At OBGYN Specialists of Columbus, we are experts in bladder health and pelvic support problems. Here are a few things you should know about bladder health.

Incontinence Shouldn’t be a Taboo Subject

According to the National Association of Continence, over 25 million Americans live with incontinence each day. For many women, it’s a condition that all too often gets swept under the rug. Oftentimes incontinence is left out of pertinent doctor/patient discussions due to embarrassment. Let’s get real! Incontinence is not something most people want to talk about around the dinner table. Most women wait at least 7 years before even speaking with a doctor about incontinence.

At OBGYN Specialists of Columbus, you don’t need to be embarrassed or ashamed of your bladder condition. Dr. Rees and her team are ready to provide you with exceptional care and solutions to relieve bladder issues.

What You Can Do to Maintain Bladder Health

Here are several tips you can do daily to keep your bladder healthy. These are just suggestions and if you experience any severe issues with your bladder please contact your physician immediately.

  • Drink plenty of water. Try to drink eight cups of water each day (advised for overall health, not just bladder health).
  • Limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink, these can irritate your bladder.
  • Stay away from foods that bother the bladder. Some foods can worsen incontinence. Skip foods like chocolate (also a source of caffeine), as well as spicy or acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits.
  • Take your time to empty your bladder completely when you urinate. If you rush and do not empty your bladder fully, over time you could get a bladder infection.
  • Keep your pelvic floor muscles strong with pelvic floor muscle training.
  • Maintain routine visits to your gynecologist and notify your physician if you feel you have bladder issues or are experiencing overactive bladder or incontinence issues.

Additional Bladder Treatment Options

At OBGYN Specialists of Columbus, Georgia we offer a broad range of treatment options based on the best available clinical data. This may include non-surgical and surgical options such as:

  • Lifestyle changes including elimination of bladder irritants (e.g. Caffeine, Nicotine)
  • Structured pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation (e.g. Kegel exercise)
  • Structured timed daytime voids
  • Pelvic floor physiotherapy (e.g. Biofeedback and/or Functional electrical stimulation-Apex M Pelvic Floor Trainer)
  • Radiofrequency energy treatment (Votiva or ThermiVA)
  • Votiva is an exciting new FDA approved treatment which uses radiofrequency energy to gently and uniformly heat the treated tissue. This results in improvements in blood circulation and tightening of the pelvic floor muscles. Votiva treatment can be used as an adjunct to Kegel exercises (tightening of the muscles of the pelvic floor to increase muscle tone).
  • Percutaneous Tibial Nerve stimulation (Urgent PC)
  • Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation uses an acupuncture type needle placed near the ankle to send mild stimulation up the tibial nerve in the leg. This gentle stimulation also referred to as neuromodulation, affects the nerves responsible for bladder control
  • Urethral bulking injections
  • Surgical treatment for stress incontinence with Intrinsic sphincter deficiency

Contact our office today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Ruthann Rees.