Treatments for Bladder Control Problems in Women

Urinary incontinence happens when the bladder becomes weak and urination happens by accident. Although they seldom want to talk about it, urinary incontinence affects women twice as often as men. The cause may be related to childbirth or menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract plays a role as well.

If you suffer from this problem, it’s important to realize you are not alone. More than 33 million Americans deal with urinary incontinence or a bladder condition. Unwanted urinary activity occurs in both men and women and increasing age can be a partial cause. Is is estimated that one out of three women in the United States has a bladder problem.

Quynh-Dao Tonnu, PA-C of Daytona Beach, FLBladder control problems can vary, from occasional urine leakage that happens when you cough or sneeze, to having sudden urges to urinate so strong you do not make it to the toilet in time. There are several basic forms of incontinence and you can have more than one condition. There is urge incontinence, where you will feel a need to urinate all of a sudden as the bladder involuntarily contracts, compelling you to urinate immediately. Another form is stress incontinence. This is caused when physical stress from coughing or sneezing, or athletic activity, puts pressure on the bladder and causes leakage.

Some women experience overflow incontinence, which happens when you leak urine because your bladder does not empty all the way.

Assessing Causes of Urinary Leakage

When you make an appointment, your doctor or a physician assistant will ask for a thorough history of the problem, followed by a physical exam. Some simple and painless tests may be taken. Urinalysis is a test in which a urine sample is checked for traces of blood, signs of infection, nitrates, or other indications of a medical problem. You may be asked to create a bladder diary, keeping a record for a few days to track the amount of fluids you drink and the frequency and amount of urine, as well as details of urgency or leakage.

Another test may be a post-void residual measurement. You will urinate into a container, and then your doctor uses ultrasound to measure the amount of urine left in your bladder.

Treating Bladder Control Problems

  • Changing your diet and performing Kegel exercises may help with both urge and stress incontinence. Additional treatments may be recommended ranging from medications to surgery.
  • Medications can be prescribed, including anticholinergics (used to block neurotransmitters), antidepressants, estrogens, or nerve-stimulating drugs.
  • Injection therapy involves the injection of collagen and other compounds to bulk up the urethra.
  • Botox injection is another possibility. Injecting Botox into the bladder partially paralyzes muscles to help reduce overactivity.
  • Surgical options are available for treating bladder control issues. They include urethral slings or mesh tape inserted to support a sagging urethra, or sacral nerve stimulation through an implanted device that calms nerves of the bladder.

It is best to make an appointment with a urologist if you are experiencing bladder control problems. Our doctors at Advanced Urology Institute have years of experience with treating bladder problems and working with patients to find the best solutions. For more information, visit the Advanced Urology Institute website.

Becoming a Physician Assistant with Quynh-Dao Tonnu, PA-C

While certified physician assistants (PA-C) are not the same as American Medical Association board-certified medical doctors, they are competent medical professionals. Physician assistants often go into medicine later in life, having already worked in other occupations.

Quynh-Dao Tonnu, PA-CCertified physician assistants go through a rigorous graduate-level training program that takes more than two years to complete. The degree program must be accredited by both the Committee on Allied Health, Education and Accreditation, and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. After successful completion of the academic portions, the graduates must pass the national Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. The final stages include formal application with the Florida Board of Medicine and completion of 2,000 hours (about one year) of supervised clinical practice.

Physician assistants are important within medical practices because they relieve the physicians of much of the routine workload. They take medical histories and, because of their medical training and experience, they are able to notice when a patient has a special issue the primary physician should be aware of. They can understand medical histories written by other medical professionals and understand their patients’ backgrounds. For example, some fad diets can seriously affect a person’s digestive system, kidneys, urinary tract and bladder. An experienced PA knows when to ask patients if they have been on such diets.

With a solid understanding of pharmaceutical medicine, physician assistants can prescribe medications or recommend that the physician prescribe certain types of medications. PAs also approve prescription refills according to the physician’s practice and standard medical guidelines. If a patient has questions about how and when to take medications, PAs can give that information.

Quynh-Dao Tonnu, PA-C started her post-secondary education at the University of Florida, where she received her BA in Economics in 2005. Later in 2007, she completed a master’s degree at the University of South Florida in Library and Information Science. After that, she worked in hedge fund accounting, which she found interesting but not very personally fulfilling. In 2014, she changed occupations to become a medical assistant. She realized her most fulfilling job experiences involved working with people, so she went back to school and obtained her Physician Assistant degree in 2017. She has been working in urology for three years and is now fully certified. You can meet this talented PA at the Advanced Urology Institute Oxford office. For more information, visit the Advanced Urology Institute website.

Symptoms & Treatment of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are a serious and painful medical issue. They cause a wide range of symptoms and can be treated in different ways depending on their size and the patient. Understanding the symptoms of kidney stones and the treatment options available are essential to passing them.

No two people are the same and the symptoms of kidney stones can vary from patient to patient. Some of the most common symptoms are pain in the back or belly, pain or burning during urination, a frequent and urgent need to urinate, urinating in small amounts, and cloudy or bloody urine. Someone experiencing these symptoms most likely has kidney stones and may need to consult a urologist for help.

One of the most troubling symptoms is the pain caused by kidney stones. Some female patients say the pain caused by the stones is worse than being in labor. In many cases, the person with kidney stones may suffer from nausea and vomiting. Although stones can often be passed by the patient on their own, in some cases medical assistance is required.

Treatment for kidney stones is done on a case-by-case basis, with the doctor examining the patient to determine the best treatment method for the individual. For patients experiencing pain, but who may be able to pass the kidney stone, the doctor may prescribe medication to ease the pain and make them comfortable as they wait for the stone to pass. In more serious cases, the doctor may need to surgically remove the stones or bypass them to drain urine and relieve pain.

A new way to remove large painful stones without surgery is Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL). With this non-invasive method the stones are broken up by a shock wave of energy focused on the point where the kidney stone is located. This shock wave breaks the kidney stone into a fine powder that is easier for the patient to pass. In severe cases, the doctor will enter with a scope through the urinary tract or kidney and destroy the stones with a laser.

Relief from the pain of kidney stones can be found at the Advanced Urology Institute, where experienced physicians determine the best treatment method available for each patient. For more information, visit the Advanced Urology Institute website.

Kidney stones: What are the treatment options?

If you’ve been diagnosed or suspect you have kidney stones, you will want to know about your options for treatment right away.

Kidney Stones: What are they?

Kidney stones are technically referred to as renal calculi. They are solid entities formed of different types of crystals. When they become large, they are extremely painful. They are called kidney stones because they usually start forming in the kidneys, but they can develop anywhere along the urinary tract, including

  • kidneys
  • ureter
  • bladder
  • urethra

What Causes Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones have several variations, and they originate for different reasons. Some of the causes are:

  • Calcium. Calcium-based stones are the most common type and somewhat preventable by avoiding high oxalate-rich foods like potato chips, peanuts, chocolate, beets and spinach. Ironically, although some kidney stones form from calcium, getting sufficient calcium in your food can prevent these stones.
  • Uric acid. These kidney stones are found more often in men than women. They develop when the urine becomes too acidic due to a diet high in purines (animal proteins) like fish, shellfish and some meats.
    Struvite. Struvite stones are more often found in women who have urinary tract infections or a kidney infection.
  • Cystine. Cystine stones are less common. They are hereditary and caused by leakage of cystine into the urine from the kidneys.

What Treatment is Available for Kidney Stones?

If the stones don’t go away by passing naturally through the urogenital system, you should contact a urologist for treatment. There are several procedures they can employ to remove the stones. The type of treatment depends on the size of the stones and type of stone.

Here are some treatments your urologist might recommend:

  • Medication: The urologist may prescribe pain medications and/or antibiotics in case of an infection. Other medicines also may be prescribed depending on what type of kidney stone is found, including: allopurinol for uric acid stones; diuretics to avoid calcium stones; sodium citrate or sodium bicarbonate, which makes the urine less acidic; or phosphorus solutions which are found to prevent calcium stones from forming.
  • Modern methods of breaking up the stones like lithotripsy, in which sound waves are employed, so stones are more easily passed.
  • Tunnel surgery is a minimally invasive procedure in which the urologist makes a small incision on your back to retrieve the stones.
  • Ureteroscopy: If a kidney stone is lodged in the bladder or ureter your urologist may use a ureteroscope to retrieve it. In this procedure a thin wire with an attached camera is inserted into the urethra and bladder, and then the stones are retrieved. Stones are examined by a lab to give more insight into the type of stones being formed.

Kidney Stone Prevention

If you are prone to kidney stones, try to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day to increase urine flow. This preventative measure helps flush out the kidneys. Your urologist may prescribe medication to help prevent future types of stones from forming.

If you think you have kidney stones you will want to speak with a qualified doctor to discuss the best methods to prevent and treat them. If you are in Florida, call the Advanced Urology Institute for an appointment with a board certified urologist.