Most people experience symptoms of incontinence during their routine living but fail to make much out of them.

However, recent research in this regard has suggested that incontinence could often be linked to another, more serious problem. It is therefore extremely important that you get to a doctor as soon as you witness the symptoms. Some of the questions you can ask yourself before seeing your doctor are:

• Is incontinence keeping you from social gatherings or stopping you from going out?
• Do you feel that you do not have control over your bladder during a sudden surge of pressure or during coughing or sneezing?
• Do you suddenly feel an urge to rush to the bathroom for urinating but aren’t able to contain yourself?
• Does your bladder keep dripping urine during the day, eventually making you feel uncomfortable?

If the answer to any of the questions mentioned above was a “yes,” then it is time for you to head to your Atlanta urologist for diagnosis.

Once your doctor is done with your medical history, they may perform any one of the diagnosis methods discussed in detail below:

• Urinalysis – Your doctor will collect a sample of your urine and will test it for possible signs of infections, other abnormalities and traces of blood. The presence of any untoward particle within your urine will alert your urologist about the future course of action to follow here.
• Post-void residual measurement – You may be asked by the doctor to urinate inside a container, which measures the output from your urine. Once this has been done, your doctor will check the leftover urine present in your bladder. This would be done through the use of an ultrasound or catheter test. The presence of a significant amount of urine in your bladder will suggest the presence of an obstruction within your urinary tract. This could also suggest a problem within your bladder muscles or nerves.
• Bladder diary – If the tests don’t reveal much, your doctor will ask you to maintain a bladder diary that accounts for what you drink, when you urinate and how often you experience incontinence episodes. The results from the bladder diary will be used by your doctor to reach a conclusion.

Since you would need a urine sample for diagnosis, it is recommended that you don’t go to the doctor with an empty bladder. Drink some water if you need to so that you can provide a urine sample when asked for it.

At this point, you’ve probably researched the side effects and problems related to incontinence online and come to a conclusion about your next step. Maybe you’ve entered queries like “where to get incontinence treatment near me” or “urologist near me.” If this is you, Advanced Urology in Atlanta is here for you. Call Advanced Urology today at 678-344-8900 to learn more about treatment options and make an appointment.