Bladder and Bowel Conditions

Expert bladder and bowel care

Bladder and bowel issues are often caused by weak pelvic floor muscles. Our goal is to find the right treatment to address your concerns in a way that fits your lifestyle. By treating these conditions, you can regain comfort and confidence without having to plan your day around bathroom breaks.

Types of bladder and bowel conditions

Reid Health offers comprehensive care to women in East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio for a wide range of bladder and bowel conditions. Our board-certified specialists understand these conditions can be uncomfortable to talk about and approach each individual with respect, compassion, and personalized treatment.

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence affects women of all ages. Up to 50% of U.S. women experience some degree of bladder control issues. Pregnancy and menopause are common causes, and the condition becomes more likely with age. However, incontinence is not a normal part of aging.  

Incontinence occurs when the muscles that control the flow of urine become weak. Women are more likely to experience these two types:

• Stress urinary incontinence: Leakage occurs when extra pressure is placed on weak pelvic floor muscles such as during physical activity, coughing or laughing for example
• Urge urinary incontinence: Also called overactive bladder, in which women experience a sudden urge to urinate and that makes it difficult to reach the bathroom in time

Bowel control issues

Pregnancy, childbirth, certain medical conditions, and treatments can affect the muscles that control bowel movements or make it difficult to have a bowel movement. This can lead to conditions such as:  

• Bowel leakage or fecal incontinence: This includes the leaking of solid or liquid stool, mucus, or gas. Lifestyle changes including diet and exercise can be especially effective at managing these symptoms.  
• Constipation: The inability to have a bowel movement or having hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass. While occasional constipation is common, chronic constipation may indicate an underlying issue that requires treatment.

Fistulas

Fistulas are abnormal that develop between organs or tissues, such as between the bladder, bowel, vagina, or urethra. While some fistulas result from childbirth-related injury, others can be caused by surgery, infection, inflammation, or medical conditions. These openings may not always cause symptoms but can lead to urinary or fecal incontinence.  

Medications such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can help resolve some fistulas, but many require surgical intervention.  

Voiding dysfunction

Voiding dysfunction involves the body’s inability to completely empty the bladder. Causes can include infections, holding urine for long periods of time, and weakened pelvic muscles. Over time, voiding dysfunction can result in urinary tract or bladder infections and cause symptoms like slow urine stream or trouble starting urination.

Treatment options for bladder and bowel conditions

For many bladder and bowel conditions, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment. Our specialists will carefully review your health history and symptoms to find the right treatment for you.

Whenever possible, we begin with nonsurgical treatments, such as:

• Diet and lifestyle changes: Avoiding alcohol and caffeine, increasing fiber intake, and maintaining a healthy weight can improve symptoms.
• Nerve stimulation treatments: Reid offers percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), a minimally invasive outpatient treatment for urinary incontinence that helps regulate bladder muscle activity.
• Pelvic floor physical therapy: This specialized physical therapy is intended to strengthen the weak pelvic muscles and help retrain bladder and bowel control. We offer private, one-on-one sessions designed to address your condition and symptoms.