Specialists Who Can Treat Incontinence

If you start to experience symptoms of incontinence, it's important to consult your healthcare provider. Remember, incontinence is a symptom, not a disease. Depending on the cause of your incontinence, your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist who's trained to treat the problem. The medical field is very specialized, so all of the different terms and titles can be confusing. Here's a quick guide to terms you might hear during your visit with your healthcare provider:

• Urologist: Trained to treat problems of the male and female urinary tracts and the male reproductive organs. They can also perform surgery.
• Urogynecologist: A urologist or OB/GYN who specializes in treating women who have pelvic floor dysfunction, such as prolapse or unresolved incontinence.
• Gastroenterologist: Trained to treat diseases of the digestive tract, including those that result in fecal incontinence.

When discussing incontinence with any healthcare provider, it's very important to be honest about all of your symptoms in order to receive the most effective advice and treatment. It helps to keep track of your symptoms in a journal right when they appear; that way, when you visit your healthcare provider, he or she will be able to see exactly when the problem started, how and at what rate it got worse or better, etc.