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Home >> Women's Health >> Bladder Problems >> Treatment
 Bladder Problems - Treatment
Overview | Diagnosis | Treatment | FAQ
When you only have one symptom or if your symptoms are vague, it can be more difficult to determine the problem. If you have any of the following symptoms you should contact your doctor as soon as possible as they may be indicators of a more serious problem:
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A strong, constant urge to urinate
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Bloody or hazy urine
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Discomfort or burning when urinating
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Pain in the back, side or groin
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Fever accompanied by any of the above symptoms
Below are just a few common urinary problems along with information on treatment:
Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary Tract Infection/Cystitis
In cases where symptoms are characteristic of a UTI and if you are normally in good health, antibiotics will be the initial treatment. The drugs prescribed and the duration depends on your health condition and the type of bacteria found in your urine. Your doctor will need to know of any other medications you're taking or any medical allergies.
To ensure that the infection is completely eliminated, it is important to take the entire course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
If you have repeated UTIs, your doctor may recommend a longer dosage of antibiotic treatment or a self-treatment program with short dosages of antibiotics at the beginning of your urinary symptoms.
If a severe UTI occurs, hospitalization and intravenous therapy may be necessary. If infections are persistent or you suffer from chronic kidney infection, your doctor will likely refer you to a urologist.
Antibiotics can cause vaginal yeast infections in women because antibiotics kill heathy bacteria in the vagina and intestinal tract. Taking a special supplement called probiotics can help prevent vaginal yeast infections and antibiotic-related gastrointestinal problems. Probiotics are ‘friendly’ bacteria and yeast. Most of the over four hundred bacteria that populate the intestinal tract are friendly.
Click here to download a PDF on Probiotics (which means ‘for life’), new window will open. Click here for more information about urinary tract infections.
Click here for international guidelines for treating cystitis and pyelonephritis in women.
Frequent Urination
Treatment is usually determined by the underlying cause of the frequency. In some cases, antibiotics and medicine may be prescribed to alleviate the discomfort.
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Urgent Urination
Depending on the specific case, urgency may be treated by antibiotics. Other typical treatments of urgency can include bladder and bowel training, special diet, Kegel exercises, medications, and treatment of muscle spasms.
Urinary Retention
A thin, flexible tube, known as a catheter, will be placed in your urethra. It maneuvers into your bladder and releases the urine into a bag. This is conducted both as a diagnosis and as a treatment of the immediate symptoms.
In addition, a variety of medicines may also help to reduce the blockage and promote urination.
 Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a painless and non invasive therapy used to treat various types of urological conditions. The goal of Biofeedback is to raise the patient's awareness and conscious control of their unconscious physiological activities.
Some of the urological conditions that benefit from Biofeedback Therapy include:
- Stress Urinary Incontinence
- Urge Incontinence
- Mixed Incontinence
- Fecal Incontinence
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Pelvic pain
- Chronic Prostatitis
Our biofeedback therapist collaborates with the physician and spends time talking to the patient, conducts a thorough evaluation of their individual situation, and determines a personalized treatment plan. A typical appointment with our biofeedback therapist generally takes one hour of the patient’s time. The treatment regime normally takes six to eight visits. Medicare and most private insurance plans cover these services. Patients can self refer or physician refer for Biofeedback. [Top] Bladder Cancer
If bladder cancer is confined to the surface of the bladder, it can be treated with a minimally invasive outpatient procedure called a transurethral resection. A special instrument called a resectoscope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder. A semicircle of thin wire at the end of an insulated ‘cutting loop’, is attached to a retractable devise that is part of the resectoscope. Under direct vision, the cutting loop is positioned just beyond the bladder tumor. A foot switch is then activated which sends electric current through the tip of the cutting loop. The tip of the activated cutting loop is then retracted inside the sheath, which cuts through the bladder tissue beneath the tumor, scoops out the tumor, and snips it off. The tumor is flushed out and sent to the pathologist for further evaluation. Once the entire tumor has been excised, the loop is used to seal the area using a different frequency of current.
Over time, bladder tumors, like skin cancers, tend to recur. In fact, bladder tumors recur up to 75% of the time. Furthermore, 15% of the time, bladder tumors become more aggressive or invade deeper. Accordingly, repeat cystoscopy is routinely performed over time according to established protocol. Furthermore, repeat imaging studies of the upper urinary tract may be indicated. For a detailed discussion of the diagnosis and management of non-invasive bladder cancer, click here for the American Urological Association’s clinical guidelines.
If bladder cancer invades into the muscle fibers of the bladder, it is usually necessary to remove the bladder, which is called a radical cystectomy. A new ‘bladder’, called a neobladder, can be created from a section of the intestinal tract. The tubes that drain urine from the kidneys, called ureters, are connected to the neobladder. Depending upon the situation, it may be possible to create a ‘continent’ neobladder: the neobladder can be either be reconnected to the urethra, or a tabularized portion of the neobladder, or a portion of the appendix that is connected to the neobladder, can be brought out to the surface of the skin. The normal uethral sphincter mechanism in the urethra or the tubular arrangement in the neobladder prevents loss of urine. It is necessary to routinely insert a small catheter through the small opening at the skin level to drain the stored urine in the neobladder. If the neobladder is connected to the urethra, it may also be necessary to catheterize the neobladder. Alternatively, the two ureters can be connected to a portion of intestine that is brought to the skin level as an ileostomy, which continuously drains into a bag.
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Hematuria
Generally, treatment for hematuria depends on the cause and in most cases; blood found in urine may be evaluated and treated on a non-emergent basis. Hematuria may be treated with antibiotics in some cases. When the cause of blood in the urine is known, it should be treated.
Urinary Incontinence
Common at-home therapies, such as diet and medication alteration along with reduced liquid consumption before sleep, can immediately improve urinary incontinence. If simple treatments do not alleviate incontinence symptoms, other treatment methods may be used. Some treatment options include, non-invasive outpatient procedures, medications and surgery. In most cases, incontinence can be controlled or cured with proper treatment.
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