Many women struggle with stress incontinence — especially after having children or going through menopause. In fact, at least 40% of women over 65 have one or more types of urinary incontinence, and doctors think the number is higher since many women don’t want to talk about it or assume it’s an inevitable part of aging.
The truth is that stress incontinence isn’t a normal condition, and you don’t have to live with now or as you age. Dr. Rawan Abu-Zeitoon and her team at Chrysolite Aesthetics in Houston, Texas, use a type of regenerative medicine to safely and effectively treat stress incontinence: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
Keep reading to learn more about stress incontinence and the way PRP therapy can help you overcome this frustrating condition.
Incontinence is the word used to describe an inability to hold in your urine until you’re ready to use the restroom. Having incontinence can lead to embarrassing leaks, dribbles, and sometimes complete loss of control over your bladder’s contents.
Stress incontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence experienced by women. Both younger and older women can develop stress incontinence, which occurs when your pelvic floor muscles weaken and no longer provide enough support to your bladder and urinary tract.
You know you have stress incontinence when you leak urine during activities that add pressure or stress to your pelvic floor, like coughing, laughing, or exercising — especially when your exercise includes high impact activities like dancing, jumping, running, or aerobics classes.
While anyone can have stress incontinence, it’s more common in women with certain factors, including:
As they get closer to menopause and progress through it, many women develop vaginal atrophy. The changing hormone levels in your body affect the walls of your vagina, making them thinner, drier, and weaker. As a result, you have less bladder and urethra support and are more likely to develop stress incontinence.
At Chrysolite Aesthetics, Dr. Abu-Zeitoon uses PRP therapy to combat the underlying conditions that cause stress incontinence. She first draws a small amount of your blood, then spins it in a special machine to separate your platelets from the rest of your blood.
Platelets are rich in growth factors, which can stimulate cellular and tissue repair, regeneration, and growth. When injected into your vagina, the PRP solution triggers your body’s natural collagen production and encourages cellular turnover.
To keep you comfortable, Dr. Abu-Zeitoon applies an anesthetic before injecting the PRP solution into the wall of your vagina. Our patients have told us the treatment is tolerable with little to no pain both before and after treatment.
Since PRP therapy uses your own blood, it’s naturally biocompatible, meaning you won’t have any adverse side effects, and you can resume normal activities right away — including sex.
After treatment, studies show your vaginal tissue tightens as the new, stronger collagen fibers and tissues replace the older, atrophied tissues. This makes it easier to control your bladder and avoid the symptoms of stress incontinence.
Plus, PRP therapy for stress incontinence also improves sexual function, making sex more pleasurable for both you and your partner. For women who struggle to orgasm, Dr. Abu-Zeitoon may recommend pairing your treatment with the O-Shot®, which stimulates collagen in the clitoris and makes climax more attainable.
It takes about two weeks for the effects of PRP therapy to cause a noticeable change, and optimal results typically take 3-4 months. Most patients build on their results by scheduling follow-up injections every 6-12 months.
Ready to learn more about how we use regenerative PRP therapy to help you overcome stress incontinence? Schedule an appointment online or over the phone at Chrysolite Aesthetics in Houston.
