When visiting a doctor about incontinence, give as many details as you can about the problem and when it started. The doctor or nurse may ask you to keep a voiding diary, which is a record of fluid intake and trips to the bathroom, plus any episodes of leakage.
Incontinence Pad Test
If leakage is the problem, the doctor or nurse may do a pad test. This test is a simple way to measure how much urine leaks out. You will be given a number of absorbent pads and plastic bags of a standard weight. Your parent will be told to wear the pad for 1 or 2 hours while in the clinic or to wear a series of pads at home during a specific period of time. The pads are collected and sealed in a plastic bag. The doctor then weighs the bags to see how much urine has been caught in the pad. A simpler but less precise method is to change pads as often as you need to and keep track of how many pads your parent uses in a day.
Physical Exam
A physical exam will also be performed to rule out other causes of urinary problems. This exam usually includes an assessment of the nerves in the lower part of the body. It will also include a pelvic exam in women to assess the pelvic muscles and the other pelvic organs. In men, a rectal exam is given to assess the prostate. Your doctor will also want to check the urine for evidence of infection or blood.
If the doctor or nurse recommends bladder testing, usually no special preparations are needed, but make sure you understand any instructions you do receive. Depending on the test, your parent may be asked to come with a full bladder or an empty one. Also, ask whether your parent should change their diet or skip regular medicines and for how long.
Taking the Test
Any procedure designed to provide information about a bladder problem can be called a urodynamic test. The type of test you take depends on your problem.
Most urodynamic testing focuses on the bladder's ability to empty steadily and completely. It can also show whether the bladder is having abnormal contractions that cause leakage. Your doctor will want to know whether your parent has difficulty starting a urine stream, how hard they have to strain to maintain it, whether the stream is interrupted, and whether any urine is left in the bladder when they are done. The remaining urine is called the postvoid residual. Urodynamic tests can range from simple observation to precise measurement using sophisticated instruments.