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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor may use a questionnaire to make a preliminary assessment of your symptoms. You may also be asked to keep a voiding diary for a few days. You'll record when, how much and what kind of fluids you consume, as well as when you urinate and when you experience incontinence. Your diary may reveal patterns that help your doctor understand symptoms and identify contributing factors.
Specialized testing may require referral to a specialist in urinary disorders (urologist) or urinary disorders in women (urologist or urogynecologist).
What you can do
To get the most from your visit to the doctor, prepare in advance:
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing. Include all of your symptoms, even if you don't think they're related.
- Make a list of any medications or vitamin supplements you take, regardless of how common you think they are. Many over-the-counter supplements can irritate the urinary tract. Also write down doses and how often you take the medication.
- Have a family member or close friend accompany you, if possible. You may be given a lot of information at your visit, and it can be difficult to remember everything.
- Take a notebook or notepad with you. Use it to write down important information during your visit.
- Prepare a list of questions to ask your doctor. List your most important questions first, in case time runs out.
For urinary incontinence, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Will my urinary incontinence go away eventually?
- What kind of tests might I need to determine the cause of my incontinence?
- Will changing my diet help with my incontinence?
- How does my weight affect my condition?
- Could pelvic floor exercises help me? How do I do them?
- Could the medicines I take be aggravating my condition?
- Are there any medications that would help with my bladder control?
- What additional testing will I need to undergo?
- Will I need surgery?
Make sure that you understand everything your doctor tells you. Don't hesitate to ask your doctor to repeat information or to ask follow-up questions for clarification.
What to expect from your doctor
Be prepared to answer questions from your doctor. Potential questions your doctor might ask include:
- How often do you leak urine?
- When you leak urine, is it a few drops or are your clothes soaked?
- Do you leak urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze or lift heavy objects?
- Do you leak urine when you exercise?
- How often do you urinate in the toilet during the day?
- Do you wake up at least twice during the night to urinate?
- What's your typical daily fluid intake?
- Do you drink beverages with caffeine or alcohol? How many each day?
- Does anything seem to make your incontinence better? How about worse?
- What's the most bothersome aspect of your problem with urinary incontinence?
- DuBeau CE. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
- DuBeau CE. Patient information: Urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~/0j/LeBKevVnHo. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
- Urodynamic testing. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/urodynamic/index.htm. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
- Norton P, et al. Urinary incontinence in women. The Lancet. 2006;367(9504):57-67.
- Holroyd-Leduc JM, et al. Management of urinary incontinence in women: Scientific review. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004;291(8):986-995.
- Norton PA. Female urinary incontinence: Epidemiology and evaluation. In: Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:870-876.
- DuBeau CE. Patient information: Urinary incontinence treatments. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~aup1.o0ho/j5Wk. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
- Baharak A, et al. Nonsurgical management of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder. In: Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:890-899.
- Rogers RG. Urinary stress incontinence in women. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;358(10):1029-1036.
- Nager CW, et al. Operative management of urinary incontinence. In: Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:877-889.
- Costa P, et al. Advancing the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. BJU International. 2006;97(5):911-915.
- Khan F, et al. Surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
- Urodynamic testing. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uimen/index.htm. Sept. 9, 2008.
- Rapp DE, et al. Surgical technique using AdVance sling placement in the treatment of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence. International Brazilian Journal of Urology. 2007;33:231-237.
- Wolter CE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 6, 2008.
