Pelvic Floor Disorders

The pelvic floor acts as a hammock to cradle the pelvic organs and hold them in place. When the hammock weakens or is damaged, it can lead to pelvic floor disorders that affect the bladder, kidney, ureters, rectum and genitals.

Common symptoms of pelvic floors disorders include:

• Pain or pressure in the rectum or genitals
• Constipation
• Urinary problems
• A bulge or pressure in the pelvis
• Pelvic muscle spasms

Dr Mkhize is equipped to diagnose and treat pelvic floor disorders in both men and women and can advise on healthy lifestyle changes to combat the effects of these disorders.

There are three main pelvic floor disorders that Dr Mkhize works with:

• Urinary/bladder incontinence
• Faecal/bowel incontinence
• Pelvic organ prolapse

Urinary and Faecal Incontinence

Urinary and faecal incontinence are pelvic floor disorders characterised by involuntary bladder and bowel leakage. This happens when the muscles and nerves that control the functioning of the bladder and bowel are damaged.

Dr Mkhize understands that living with incontinence is uncomfortable and debilitating, so he is ready to offer treatment, lifestyle advice and support to combat this.

1. Urinary incontinence

Bladder incontinence occurs when you cannot control your bladder, which results in leaking urine involuntarily.

There are several types of urinary incontinence.

Functional incontinence occurs when a particular medical condition affects your ability to reach the bathroom in time to release your bladder.

Stress incontinence is caused by movements such as laughing, coughing and sneezing that apply pressure to the bladder resulting in leakage.

Urge incontinence is also known as overactive bladder syndrome, whereby you feel the overwhelming urge to urinate frequently, even if there is little to no urine in your bladder.

Mixed incontinence is a combination of stress and urge incontinence and occurs more frequently in women.

Overflow incontinence is the inability to completely empty your bladder, causing urine to leak when your bladder is full. This type of incontinence is more common in men.

There are various reasons why you may experience urinary incontinence, but some of the most common causes are:

2. Faecal incontinence

Bowel incontinence means that you cannot control your bowel movements, leading to waste leakage.

One of the most common reasons for bowel incontinence is old age, but there are numerous other causes, including:

Treatment for incontinence

Several treatment options are available to combat urinary and faecal incontinence, and Dr Mkhize will work with you to find the best possible solution for you and your case.

He may recommend specific lifestyle changes in conjunction with medical treatment, which could be one of the following:

• Medication: Over the counter medication can help control bladder and bowel movements and prevent leakage.
• Surgery: In severe cases where other treatments fail, surgery may be required to repair injuries or support the bladder or bowel.
• Kegel exercises: Daily kegel movements can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which control the bladder and bowel movements.
• Bladder/bowel training: Training your body to go to the bathroom at set times can help create positive bladder and bowel movement habits that prevent incontinence.
• Devices: A pessary ring may be used to prevent bladder leakage in women.
• Biofeedback: An electrical patch placed on the body over the bladder and pelvic floor can show you when the muscles contract and help you to control bladder and bowel movements.
• Nerve stimulation: Using electrical pulses to stimulate the nerves in the bladder and bowel can help to strengthen them over time and increase muscle control.

3. Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is a medical condition whereby one or more pelvic organs fall out of place and push into the genital area, including the bladder, bowel, uterus or top of the genitals. This condition causes pain and discomfort and can also cause the pelvic organs to fail.

Prolapse symptoms

Pelvic organ prolapse is most common in women and occurs after childbirth and into elderly age; however, men can also experience this disorder. It is not life-threatening but causes pain and can lead to more severe issues.

Symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse include:

• Pressure on the lower abdomen or genital area
• Painful intercourse
• Difficulty urinating
• Bladder or bowel incontinence
• The feeling of something falling out of the vagina

Not all pelvic organ prolapse conditions show symptoms and can only be discovered during a medical examination.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or have concerns about pelvic organ prolapse, contact Dr Mkhize for an appointment. He will be able to examine and diagnose you and offer a personal treatment plan.