Posts in Category: Bladder Health
It’s Time to Get out of the Bathroom
Do you know exactly where the restroom is in each of your favorite restaurants, because you go each time you are there? Do you feel the urge to urinate and swear that you just went an hour ago? Does your bathroom schedule interfere with daily life?
If you need to pee more than eight times during the day, and wake up at night, then it’s time to get things under control. Needing to urinate that frequently is not normal, and it affects the lives of so many women. Whether you feel the urge to urinate way too often, or suffer from urine leakage when you exercise, sneeze or cough, we can help.
There are all sorts of non-surgical ways to improve overactive bladder. At Houston Female Urology, we help women, every day, reduce the need to urinate. Many women make progress by simply keeping a voiding diary and making changes to their eating and drinking habits. But when that doesn’t help, it’s time to go to the next step.
Along with overactive bladder, another problem that we address all the time is stress incontinence (aka leaky bladders). If you pee when you exercise, we can help. If you pee when you cough or sneeze, we can help. Many women wrongly assume that surgery is the only way to correct urine leakage. Don’t give up your favorite workout routine because you’re worried about leaking urine.
We are proud to offer several in-office procedures to calm your overactive or leaky bladder: Pelvic Floor Toning, Bladder Botox, and ThermiVa are a few of the easy ways to help you spend less time searching for a public restroom.
Call our office at 281.823.9380 to schedule a consultation, and we’ll get started on a plan just for you.
Cheers to a healthy you!
-Dr. P
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What is Vaginal Rejuvenation?
I am thrilled with the growth of vaginal rejuvenation treatments in my field. More and more women are starting to have the conversation with their doctors about their feminine health, and the range of non-surgical procedures to improve women’s vaginal health is expanding.
However, the language commonly used around the revolutionary treatments such as ThermiVa and MonaLisa Touch can be vague. What does the term feminine or vaginal rejuvenation mean and how does a woman know if the treatments can fix her uncomfortable symptoms?
Vaginal or feminine rejuvenation is the enhancing of the vagina’s function and cosmetic appearance.
The desire for better sex, a more youthful appearance, and convenience are the main reasons women are choosing non-surgical procedures for rejuvenation. Additional reasons include:
• Perimenopausal and menopausal women experiencing dryness, leaky bladder, or laxity
• Women suffering from dryness due to bioidentical hormones
• Women experiencing dryness from breast cancer treatments
• Women who have discomfort wearing yoga pants, a bathing suit, or riding a bike
• Women that have difficulty achieving orgasm
• Mothers that have vaginal laxity, leaky bladder, prolapse, or decreased sensitivity due to vaginal births
Lastly, I wanted to leave you with a few other notes about vaginal rejuvenation that I think are helpful to be aware of. First, the results can last up to one year and can vary from person to person. Secondly, the procedures are not typically covered by insurance.
If you are interested in vaginal rejuvenation, my team and I are available to help you determine which non-surgical treatment option is best for you. Email us today at info@houstonfemaleurology.com!
-Dr. P
Squashing Myths About In-Office Cystoscopy Tests
Many women are frightened by the idea of a cystoscopy test. When I sit down with my patients to discuss the procedure, they mainly express concern about pain and discomfort. However, this procedure can provide great insight into a patient’s bladder health and should not be feared. Below is a list of FAQ’s to help ease your mind about your upcoming cystoscopy test.
What is an in-office cystoscopy?
A cystoscopy test is a procedure that allows me to examine the bladder lining, by inserting a scope into the bladder through the urethra. A cystoscopy test can be compared to a colonoscopy, but for the bladder.
Why would a woman need to have this procedure?
A woman would need a cystoscopy test if she has a polyp, tumor, or other abnormality. Additional reasons for a cystoscopy include blood in the urine that a physician found in a laboratory exam, bladder irritation, overactive bladder, or continuous bladder infections.
What misinformation have women heard about this procedure that’s wrong? Why should they not be nervous?
Most women think a cystoscopy test is very painful. Usually women hear this from others who have had a cystoscopy performed in the past, using a rigid scope. Now, we use a flex scope that is much smaller and less painful. The cystoscopy test only takes two to three minutes and the level of discomfort felt can be compared to a pap smear.
How should women prepare for this procedure?
It is important to come to the office with a full bladder so we can take a urine sample. If you feel like you might have an infection, please let my office know before the procedure so we can treat the infection before performing the cystoscopy.
What does the process of having an in-office cystoscopy look like at Houston Female Urology?
First, the patient comes in for a regular appointment. We then take a urine sample to check for infection. Next, the medical assistant prepares the area and inserts a numbing jelly in the urethra. Once the area is numb, I fill the bladder with water. The scope is then inserted through the urethra into the bladder for the quick test. The results are discussed with the patient right away. Once complete, the patient will get dressed and go to the bathroom to empty the bladder. If there is any discomfort, we can provide a medication to help.
Will the patient feel much pain after they leave the office?
A patient should not feel any pain once they leave our office. There can be a slight burning but the feeling should go away after a couple of hours and is not a common side effect.
Please call my office if you have any other questions about your cystoscopy test. My team is always available to make sure you feel comfortable before coming in for your visit!
-Dr. P
Bladder Botox: bringing relief to my patients
Botox is well known for its cosmetic purposes. If we’re honest, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is a procedure that targets and relaxes facial wrinkles. Fortunately for those suffering with urinary incontinence, Botox can also provide a powerful answer for this problem. This can be treated with an injection in the muscle of the bladder to ease the symptoms of an overactive bladder.
The New York Times recently conducted an in-depth report on incontinence. The study found that, “About 20 million American women … have urinary incontinence or have experienced it at some time in their lives. The number, however, may actually be higher because most patients are reluctant to discuss incontinence with their doctors. In fact, research indicates that many patients will not admit to having the problem even when questioned directly.”
As a urologist who exclusively treats females, the last thing I want is for my patients to feel like they have to stay quiet and learn to live with this condition. I’m always pleased to tell women about bladder Botox and the relief and freedom it provides. I understand that this is a tough topic to approach for many, but my team at Houston Female Urology handles this discussion with empathy, care and kindness.
Bladder Botox is a quick in-office procedure that is well tolerated by our patients. The treatment begins by flushing the bladder with a local anesthesia through a catheter to numb the bladder. Then a scope is passed up the urethra into the bladder, and a small needle is placed through the scope where several injections are made to spread the Botox throughout the muscle of the bladder. This significantly relaxes the bladder, and my patients are able to return home on the same day of the procedure.
The Botox begins to work at about one week with its full effects beginning at two weeks. While this procedure is not permanent, it lasts approximately six to eight months when injected in the bladder. There are no limitations to the extent of use, and my patients are so happy with the results I tend to see them once or twice each year for Botox injections.
One of the best parts of my job is bringing hope to women who often silently struggle with urology issues. It’s so rewarding to see my patients’ faces when they see the light at the end of the tunnel after Botox – they have their lives back.
Dr. P
Hope for Leaky Bladders
Are you suffering from a leaky bladder? Is it hard for you to empty your bladder completely? Or maybe you feel like you need to go way too often.
These are common issues for many women and frequently go unaddressed. The good news is that if you do suffer from the above symptoms, I offer specialized urodynamics tests in my office that allow me to narrow down the cause of your bladder problems to properly address your symptoms and provide treatment options specific to your needs.
Urodynamics consists of several tests that provide valuable insight to how a patient’s lower urinary tract (urethra and bladder) are functioning. These tests determine how well the bladder is holding urine and evaluates the bladder’s ability to empty properly. Urodynamic testing is key to determining the cause of bladder incontinence.
It is fascinating what all the tests can tell us! Urodynamics commonly includes the following:
- Uroflowmetry: measurement of urine volume and speed
- Postvoid Residual Measurement: measures the amount of urine remaining in the bladder after urination
- Cytometric Test: measures how much the bladder can hold when it communicates with the brain that it is full
- Leak Point Pressure Measurement: determines the point at which the bladder leaks are involuntary
- Pressure Flow Study: measures the pressure the bladder requires to urinate
- Electromyography: evaluates for nerve or muscle damage
If you are one of the 25% to 45% of women who suffer from bladder leakage, I encourage you to give my office a call! To patients, bladder symptoms may feel like an embarrassing or uncommon problem but I promise it isn’t. Don’t let your bladder condition hold you back from the things you love, my team is here to help you get your life back again.
-Dr. P