Bladder dysfunction: Regain control of your body so you can enjoy your life

You have problems urinating. You may go too often, lose control or find it hard to urinate.

You feel a strong need to urinate, even when your bladder is not full. You leak or lose all of your urine.

Your bladder doesn't empty properly. This leads to leaks or a constant dribble of urine.

You leak urine when you cough, laugh, lift something heavy or sneeze. Leakage may be irregular or frequent.

You have symptoms of overactive bladder and stress incontinence.

Tracks the amount of urine your bladder holds.

Looks for urine leaks when you cough.

A thin tube with a camera looks inside your urethra and bladder.

Checks the level of urine in your bladder after you urinate.

Studies your urine for infection, kidney stones or other problems.

Tracks bladder pressure and urine flow.

Uses soundwaves to make pictures of your bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra.

You change how much and when you drink. You use the bathroom at scheduled times. This retrains your bladder.

You use devices to measure muscle strength while performing pelvic floor muscle exercises.

For women, Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor and bladder muscles.

Your doctor injects a bulking agent like collagen near your bladder opening. This narrows the opening and reduces leakage.

For women, a ring-shaped device called a pessary is placed in the vagina. The pessary supports the bladder or uterus. This takes pressure off the bladder.

There are medicines that control strong urges to urinate. They work best for long-term use.

You work with a physical therapist to learn behavior modification, biofeedback, education and exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

A device like a pacemaker is implanted under your skin close to your tailbone. This stimulates the bladder nerves. If your urge incontinence doesn't respond to behavioral changes or medicine, this may be a good option for you.

This surgery repairs weakened ligaments to better support your bladder. Your doctor places a mesh material called a sling to support your urethra. Another option uses tissue from your own body to create the sling. 

This surgery provides relief for neurologic bladder conditions and those caused by an injury. Your doctor can make changes to improve bladder emptying and urine storage.