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Urinary incontinence affects up to 45% of American women, so it’s very common. However, many suffer in silence because they feel too embarrassed to talk about it.
Whether you leak when you laugh, cough, or exercise, or you struggle with sudden urges that send you running to the bathroom, urinary incontinence isn’t just a physical issue — it can affect your confidence, relationships, and quality of life.
At Chicago Center for Women’s Health, we understand how deeply personal this problem is. Our caring team specializes in helping women manage and treat urinary incontinence, using the latest techniques to ensure they regain bladder control and peace of mind.
Understanding urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence means you leak urine unintentionally. Leakage can range from light dribbling to full loss of bladder control.
Stress incontinence happens when you leak during physical movement like coughing, laughing, sneezing, or lifting something heavy. It’s often due to weakened pelvic floor muscles or urethral support.
Urge incontinence causes a sudden, strong need to urinate, and you may not make it to the bathroom in time. Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge symptoms.
Urinary incontinence can happen for many reasons, such as:
- Childbirth
- Pelvic surgery
- Aging
- Menopause
- Chronic coughing
- Obesity
- Heavy lifting
- Diabetes
- Neurological disorders
If you’re changing pads multiple times a day, worrying about finding a bathroom everywhere you go, or avoiding social activities, you deserve better. We treat you with compassion, respect, and complete privacy, guiding you through all your options and helping you regain control.
Help for urinary incontinence
At Chicago Center for Women’s Health, we aim to find a solution that works for your body and lifestyle. We start with a private conversation to understand your symptoms, triggers, and how incontinence affects your life. From there, we may recommend one or more of the following:
Lifestyle changes
Simple steps that can help include weight loss, bladder training, and avoiding bladder irritants like caffeine and alcohol.
Pelvic floor physical therapy
Strengthening the muscles supporting your bladder with Kegel exercises can significantly reduce leaks.
Medications
Certain drugs can calm an overactive bladder or improve muscle tone.
If these conservative approaches don’t work, we may recommend a minimally invasive treatment, such as Bulkamid®.
Bulkamid is a soft, water-based gel that we inject into the wall of your urethra (the tube you pee through). It helps to bulk up the urethra, allowing it to close more tightly and preventing urine from leaking out during physical activity.
The procedure takes 10-15 minutes and is an in-office treatment we perform under local anesthesia. There are no cuts or stitches, and most women return to normal activities the next day.
Bulkamid is especially helpful for stress urinary incontinence and has a high satisfaction rate. It’s safe, well-tolerated, and has been used worldwide for over a decade.
Other urinary incontinence treatment options include:
Pessary support
A pessary is a soft, plastic device inserted into the vagina to support the bladder. It helps prevent urine leakage during activities like coughing or exercising. This option is most helpful for stress urinary incontinence.
Vaginal weights
These small, cone-shaped weights go in your vagina. Your pelvic muscles must then work to hold them in place while you’re standing. Using them for about 15 minutes, twice a day, can strengthen muscles and improve bladder control.
Pelvic floor stimulation pants
This noninvasive device looks like a pair of shorts with built-in electrical pads. It gently stimulates the pelvic floor muscles to help them contract, strengthen, and relearn how to support the bladder.
Home electrical stimulation
FDA-approved home units use low-level electrical pulses to activate weak pelvic floor muscles. These sessions can enhance your Kegel exercise routine.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS)
PTNS uses a tiny needle inserted near your ankle to send mild electrical impulses to the pelvic nerves.
Implanted tibial neurostimulator
This coin-sized device sends signals to nerves that affect bladder function, helping reduce incontinence symptoms. It’s a long-term treatment option for some patients.
Surgical options
When other treatments don’t work, surgery may help. One procedure lifts the bladder into a better position. A sling procedure uses mesh or natural tissue to support the urethra.
Too many women wait months or even years before talking to a doctor about bladder leaks. But incontinence isn’t something you have to put up with. Contact Chicago Center for Women’s Health by phone or online to find the urinary incontinence treatment that’s right for you.