Causes and Diagnoses

Diagnoses of Urinary Incontinence

You may need to see a urogynecologist, a physician who specializes in diseases and disorders of the female urinary tract. At your visit your urogynecologist might:

• Ask questions about when and how often you experience incontinence
• Conduct a physical examination that can help identify other conditions that may influence your bladder, such as pelvic organ prolapse
• Ask you to cough with a full bladder to see if you leak urine
• Ask you to keep a bladder diary. This diary requires you to record what you drink, as well as how much and how often. You will also measure the amount you urinate. This will help the urogynecologist learn more about your particular bladder symptoms

The urogynecologist might also conduct tests that could include:

• Urodynamic testing to gain information about your bladder and urethra
• Urine analysis to detect a urinary tract infection or any blood in your urine
• 3D ultrasound to evaluate the status of your pelvic floor muscles
• Cystoscopy to examine the inside of the bladder and urethra