Urinary Incontinence Specialists in Nashville, TN

Bladder control problems range from urinating too frequently to actual urine leakage (urinary incontinence). Urinary incontinence affects millions of people every year yet, many men feel too embarrassed to discuss the issue with their doctor, allowing the problem to continue to interfere with the quality of life.

Fortunately for men, the urologists at Nashville Men’s Health understand how difficult it can be to open up about urinary incontinence. Rest assured, our urologists can help alleviate your symptoms and restore your quality of life. Our experienced urologists can recommend many new treatments to cure or manage your incontinence, letting you resume a normal life free from worry and shame.

What causes urinary incontinence in men?

Certain diseases and conditions that damage nerves can lead to urinary incontinence including:

• Diabetes
• Neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis all affect the brain and nervous system and often cause bladder control problems
• Spinal cord injuries can interrupt the nerve signals required to control the bladder

What are the Types of Incontinence?

There are several types of incontinence, and some men experience more than one kind.

• Urge Incontinence (Overactive Bladder): urine leaks when the bladder inappropriately contracts, and you may not be able to get to the bathroom quickly enough
• Stress Incontinence: exercising, coughing, sneezing or other activities put pressure on a weakened bladder sphincter and cause leaks
• Overflow Incontinence: in this type of incontinence, which mostly affects men, you don’t feel the urge to urinate, your bladder doesn’t empty well and small amounts of urine may leak continuously
• Total Incontinence: this is the continuous leakage of urine
• Mixed Incontinence: this is a combination of any of the above types of urinary incontinence

What Prostate Conditions Effect Incontinence?

Men who have prostate conditions often experience some type of bladder control issues at some point in their lives.

• BPH: enlarged prostate is common as men age. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate affects the flow of the urine from the bladder through the urethra and can cause changes in bladder function. An enlarged prostate causes a number of urinary symptoms including weak urine stream, urinary urgency, and leakage, frequent urination, nocturia, as well as overactive bladder.
• Radical Prostatectomy: complete surgical removal of the prostate gland (radical prostatectomy) is a common treatment option for men with prostate cancer. The procedure, which can be performed as an open or robotic laparoscopic surgery, can cause nerve and/or muscle damage in the area surrounding the prostate, leading to urinary incontinence. Prostate cancer surgery may weaken the pelvic floor muscles and the urinary sphincter that controls urine flow. As a result, some men experience urine leakage or even an inability to control urination. In these cases, your urologist will advise you to begin pelvic floor muscle exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to help restore some bladder control.
• Radiation Therapy: external beam radiation therapy is used to treat prostate cancer that is confined to the prostate or has spread only to nearby tissue. The treatment may result in temporary changes in frequency and urgency of urination or, can lead to more permanent bladder problems.

What are the Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence?

There are several treatment options for your urinary incontinence. All options should first be discussed with your Provider to find the best solution for your unique needs.

• Behavior Modification: By modifying fluid consumption and possibly timed voiding periods, you may be able to improve urinary incontinence.
• Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy: There are several physical therapists in Middle Tennessee who specialize in pelvic floor treatment. They utilize biofeedback to retrain your pelvic floor musculature.
• Oral Medications: There are several medications available for treatment of urinary incontinence. Discuss the options with your provider to find the best medication for you.
• Intravesical Botox Injection Therapy: Botox injections can decrease urinary urgency, frequency and urge incontinence. Your provider can administer these injections in the comfort of their urology clinic.
• Sacral Neuromodulation: A surgical option, sacral neuromodulation utilizes an electronic device that is implanted to help control urinary incontinence, urgency and frequency.
• Male Slings: Slings are used to resupport the urethra after a patient’s prostate is removed for prostate cancer. This surgical option corrects stress incontinence.
• Artificial Urinary Sphincters: To correct total urinary incontinence as well as moderate to severe stress incontinence, an artificial urinary sphincter is a great surgical option. An artificial device is implanted to cclude the urethra so constant leakage is corrected.