How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?
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Urinary incontinence is often diagnosed by reviewing your history. Your doctor may ask you to keep a journal of your urination for a few days prior to your appointment, which can include such information as how much you drank, when and how much you urinated, and how often you were unable to make it to the bathroom in time. Your doctor may also test your blood and urine for other underlying causes of the incontinence. Additional tests may be used if more information is needed.
Urinary incontinence is often diagnosed by reviewing your history. Your doctor may ask you to keep a journal of your urination for a few days prior to your appointment, which can include such information as how much you drank, when and how much you... More -
Dr. Jay T. Bishoff of Intermountain Healthcare answered:Your doctor can diagnose stress incontinence and
evaluate the factors that may be contributing to it.
To do this, your doctor will:
• Take a medical history. This simply means asking
questions about your symptoms, your health and
lifestyle, when your symptoms started, and how
they affect your daily life.
• Conduct a physical exam. To check for physical
conditions linked to your symptoms, your doctor
may perform a pelvic exam. Your doctor may also
need to examine your abdomen and rectum.
• Order other tests. Your doctor may order lab tests
of blood or urine. Your doctor may also recommend
an ultrasound (using sound waves to create a picture
of the inside of your body), urodynamics (measuring
the pressure, capacity, and flow rate of your bladder
as it fills or empties), or cystoscopy (inserting a thin,
lighted tube through the urethra to look inside the
bladder and urethra).Your doctor can diagnose stress incontinence andevaluate the factors that may be contributing to it.To do this, your doctor will:• Take a medical history. This simply means askingquestions about your symptoms, your health andlifestyle, when... More
