Even a moderate amount of weight loss can go a long way toward relieving symptoms of female urinary incontinence in obese women.

A 2009 study by the University of California, San Francisco showed that women who lost as little as eight percent of their body weight experienced an average 47% reduction in episodes of both stress incontinence and urge incontinence, with some seeing the number of incontinence episodes drop by an astounding 70%.
The study’s findings, which were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, concluded that reduction in urinary incontinence can be considered among the primary benefits of even moderate weight loss in significantly overweight women.

The study included a group of 338 overweight and obese women between 45 and 60 years of age, all of whom were experiencing at least 10 episodes of urinary incontinence per week. The participants were divided into two groups, one of which was put on an intensive six-month weight loss program that included diet, exercise, and lifestyle modification.

The other group of participants did not take part in any structured weight loss program, but were given educational classes on the importance of weight loss to incontinence management.

At the end of the six months, the participants in the weight loss group had dropped an average of eight percent of their body weight, while the control group showed an average weight loss of just over one percent.

Episodes of urinary incontinence dropped in both groups during the study period, but the difference between the groups was striking. The weight loss group reported 47% fewer episodes on average, while the control group reported 28% fewer episodes. The weight loss group showed a clinically relevant drop in the number of episodes of all types of incontinence, the researchers said, but episodes of stress incontinence showed the most dramatic reduction.

Stress incontinence, which is the involuntary loss of urine caused by seemingly inconsequential actions such as sneezing, coughing, or laughing, or by movement such as exercise or lifting, is one of the most common female health problems in the US.

More than 13 million women experience stress incontinence, and it is estimated that one in three women will experience it at some time. The condition is caused be weakness in the pelvic floor muscles, including the sphincter muscle that closes off the bladder. Weakness in these muscles can be caused by a number of factors, including pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, certain medical procedures (notably, hysterectomies), and some medications.

Although it might not be a subject you want to think about, if you are dealing with incontinence, the one thing you should not do is ignore it. Many have the incorrect assumption that nothing can be done to improve the condition but that is far from accurate.
Incontinence is the involuntary loss of bladder or bowel control, i.e. the loss of the ability to determine when and where urination and/or bowel movements may occur. Although rarely discussed it is actually a very common disorder experienced by as many as 6 million men and women of all ages.

Many find it difficult to manage, leading to frustration and even isolation and depression in the worse cases. Yet, incontinence is not a disease, but rather a symptom of underlying conditions that affect men and women of all ages and backgrounds.

The many causes of incontinence include pregnancy, surgery, infections or even just being overweight. It also can be triggered by a variety of other diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and even diabetes.
There are also different types of incontinence:
• Stress incontinence: A small amount of urine is released by such everyday physical activities even ones as basic as, coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is generally due to weakened pelvic floor muscles and in many cases can be easily treated by activities such as pelvic floor exercises.

• Urge incontinence: The urge to urinate comes on so suddenly that it is impossible to reach a toilet in time. This generally results in larger losses than stress incontinence. Bladder re-training may help improve this condition.

• Overflow incontinence: The bladder is constantly filled, causing it to release small amounts of urine frequently.

• Reflex incontinence: The absence of bladder control is due to impaired nerve function. This is often linked to other diseases.

• Faecal Incontinence: Impaired rectal sensation or muscle control results in the loss of faeces (stools) or the staining of underclothes.

We always advocate discussing the symptoms with your own health professional as they are best placed to diagnose your own symptoms and condition and recommend appropriate treatments.

Urinary incontinence products should effectively deal with the leakage of urine no matter whether the incontinence experienced is mild, moderate or severe.

Incontinence pad choice can be difficult because it depends on many factors. Obviously , the quantity of urine loss is the largest factor, but with so many products on the market today other factors can also taken into consideration.

Also important is ease of use, and also your lifestyle and mobility level. The best female incontinence pad might not be a good solution for someone experiencing male incontinence.
Odour control is also essential, and virtually all disposable products have this feature nowadays. Due to their re-usable nature, Washable products do not feature odour contol, and are really only suitable for lighter urinary incontinence. The cost, comfort and durability of incontinence products, all to come into the equation.

The exploration of these factors is crucial for you to find the best incontinence products for your needs.

A study exploring the effects of age and menopause on urinary incontinence (UI) in midlife has identified a relationship between menopausal transition and stress UI.

The study included 1211 women followed up since their birth in 1946 and looked at their menopausal transition status and symptoms of stress, urge, and severe UI over 7 years from ages 48-54.

Women who were peri-menopausal were more likely to have symptoms of stress UI than post-menopausal women. Menopausal transition status was not associated with urge or severe UI. These relationships were not explained by age, childhood enuresis, reproductive factors, previous health status, body mass index and educational qualifications.

Source: Nursing Times

Back in the 60’s Jaki Nett was known as Bunny Jaki, she used to work on the extinct L.A Playboy Club. Nowadays Jack Nett, who is in her sixties and has just published an insightful book for managing incontinence.

The book is entitled A Crack in the Mask: The Felt Sense Method® A Humanistic Approach for Managing Incontinence, Highlighted by the Memories of a Woman Who Has Been There, an exceptionally well presented book, from its beautifully illustrated, deep blue cover to the photos of anatomy and yoga asanas.

Wrote in a very personal tone, the book gives voice to incontinence, a human voice that adds a warm feeling to it. All the knowledge and techniques described came for Jaki’s own journey of regaining control over her bladder.

In her years fighting to regaining control of her bladder she developed a technique that she named The Felt Sense Method®, an approach that teaches how to consciously contact and strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor for overcoming urinary incontinence  and for improving conditions of vaginal laxity.

The book is presented in a manner that is interesting and understandable to the lay person. The chapters are interlaced and supported with personal stories, which I found quite novel and very refreshing. Overall, a must read for anyone dealing with incontinence, be it on personal level or helping loved ones overcome this ever so common condition.

Learning about bladder weakness can help you manage it better. You’ll also learn that there’s a lot of misunderstandings and myths about bladder weakness. For example, you probably didn’t realise just how common it is. We listed 6 of the most common facts and myths so you have a better understanding of bladder weakness and how common it is and how it can easily be managed.

Bladder weakness only affects older people

Myth. Whether you’re young or older, a man or a woman, it makes little difference. Anyone can experience bladder weakness at any age. Often it’s a side effect of pregnancy and many young sportswomen have it too. So it is not necessarily an age thing.

Pelvic floor exercises can help women regain control

Fact. In cases of Stress Incontinence (the leaks experienced when laughing, coughing, etc.) these exercises can have a success rate of up to 70%. The good news is that it’s never too late to start and you don’t need to be athletic to benefit.

No one I know has bladder weakness

Myth. Are you sure they’d tell you? Bladder weakness is very common and you are certainly not alone. In fact, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men experience it at some point in their lives, so it would be surprising if none of your friends had ever had it. Perhaps they have just discovered how to stay fresh and confident.

It’s my fault I’ve got bladder weakness

Myth. It’s no more your fault than, say, the size of your feet! Some people are just more prone to bladder weakness than others. Often it’s to do with weaker pelvic floor muscles. Ultimately, it’s just another bodily function and the good news is that there are steps you can take to minimise its impact on your life.

I guess my days of wearing tight jeans or slinky dresses are over

Myth. Not unless you want them to be. Products for bladder weakness now range from the equivalent of a pantyliner to larger sizes – to meet your needs and physique. In fact, to get a similar level of absorbency from a sanitary towel you’d have to go two sizes bigger, and even then they are not designed to retain the urine or tackle odour. So rather than hang up your party clothes, visit our Female Incontinence Products page to see just how small you can go.

Sanitary pads are more discreet than bladder weakness protection

Myth. Because bladder weakness protection is specifically designed to absorb and retain urine, they are two sizes smaller than the equivalent absorbency level of sanitary towel and more secure. So, they are actually more discreet. And, because they have an Odour Control mechanism – specially designed to eliminate the ammonia released by the bacteria in urine – they have the added benefit of being discreet in terms of odour as well as size.

Got questions about female incontinence and bladder weakness? Leave them on our comments section below or if you prefer to ask in confidence then you can email our Nurse specialist Shona, by clicking on the link below, we will endeavour to answer your questions as quickly as possible but if the answer is complex then we may need to ask you some specific questions before a response is given.

Ask Shona

Please note that all advice can only be considered as an opinion based upon the information you supply and that we are unable to provide any form of diagnosis or advice specific to your condition. We highly recommend that you always consult your GP, Practice Nurse or Continence Advisor.

A new study confirms that women who have incontinence during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have the problem after giving birth as well. The good news, researchers say, is that there are ways for women to reduce their risk.

In a study of more than 1,100 first-time mothers, Spanish researchers found that 39% reported urinary incontinence, or urine leakage, at some point during pregnancy. Another 10% said they had anal incontinence, which included uncontrolled passage of gas or stool.

These women were more likely than those without incontinence during pregnancy to have symptoms seven weeks after giving birth.

Overall, 16% of women in the study had urinary incontinence seven weeks after giving birth, while 7% had anal incontinence.

The risks for women who have had these problems during pregnancy were three and six times greater, respectively, compared with women who had remained continent during pregnancy.

The study, reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynaecology, also confirmed that vaginal childbirth carries greater risks compared with caesarean section. Women who had a vaginal delivery were three times more likely than those who had a C-section to have urinary or anal incontinence after childbirth.

Of 692 women who had a vaginal delivery and responded to questionnaires seven weeks after childbirth, 139 reported symptoms of urinary incontinence and 57 reported anal incontinence.

The findings confirm vaginal delivery and incontinence during pregnancy as risk factors for post-childbirth incontinence, lead researcher Maite Solans-Domenech, of the Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research in Barcelona, told Reuters Health in an email.

But they also highlight potential ways to reduce the risk, according to Solans-Domenech.

For example, studies have tied excess weight gain to an increased risk of incontinence during pregnancy (in this study, it was linked to anal incontinence only). So gaining only the recommended number of pregnancy pounds may help prevent incontinence both during and after pregnancy.

In addition, exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, known as Kegel exercises, have been shown to lower the risk of pregnancy-related incontinence, Solans-Domenech noted.

As for the mode of delivery, C-sections cannot be considered solely to prevent incontinence, Solans-Domenech said.

However, she added, in cases where a woman already has risk factors for post-childbirth incontinence – such as being older than 35 or having a family history of incontinence — doctors might want to avoid using forceps or other instruments during vaginal delivery, or doing an episiotomy — an incision made to enlarge the vaginal opening during delivery.

Past studies have linked instrument-assisted deliveries, particularly in conjunction with episiotomy, to an increased risk of incontinence, Solans-Domenech and her colleagues point out.

Because the current study followed-up with women only seven weeks after they gave birth, it is unclear how many women had long-term symptoms. Past research has suggested that for most women, incontinence goes away within a few months of giving birth, though for some it may become a persistent problem.

Treatments for persistent incontinence include Kegel exercises, behavioural changes (like scheduled bathroom trips), medications and, in more severe cases, surgery.

Source: Obstetrics & Gynaecology, March 2010

A few days ago we brought you the news that Whoopi Goldberg would be starring in a series of webisodes to inform and help women experiencing light-bladder-leakage (stress urinary incontinence).

Today we bring you the first of these webisodes with Whoopi dressed as Mona Lisa. The former Golden Globe winner deals with this serious matter that affects 1 in 3 women in a fun way that hopefully will incite women experiencing LBL (light bladder leakage) to go and see a doctor or at least talk to someone about it.

Having a baby is one of the most magic moments a woman can experience in her life. After birth women experience a few unpleasant changes to her body like soreness and incontinence. These changes are in most cases reversible.

Recent studies revealed that by combining Perineal Massages and Kegel exercises – pelvic floor exercises – risks of urinary incontinence are reduced considerably.

To perform Kegel or Pelvic floor exercises first locate your urinary sphincter (muscle that controls urine flow). To do that sit on the toilet with knees as far apart as possible.  Start and stop the flow of urine. The muscle you use to stop the flow is the one you will be working on in the exercises. (Note: Stopping urine flow is not part of the exercise routine)

Now that you identified the muscle tighten it and hold it for 4 seconds and then relax it for another 4 seconds, this is one Kegel. Do 10 to 15 Kegels, 2 to 3 times each day. Kegel exercises can be performed during and after pregnancy.

Recently another technique that is proving to be quite effective to prevent incontinence during and after childbirth is Perineal massage, this technique is used to stretch the tissues around the vaginal opening weeks before delivery.

To perform Perineal Massages first wash your hands and apply lubricant to the area (vagina). Then place your thumbs about 1 to 1 1/2 inches inside your vagina. Pressing downward, gently stretch until you feel a slight burning or tingling sensation. Hold the pressure for about two minutes or until the tissue begins to feel numb. Repeat this towards the right side of the vagina for two more minutes and then to the left. Perform this technique daily starting at 34 weeks of pregnancy.

We would love to hear your feedback on these techniques and how effective they are to each one of you. So please share your results via our comments section.

The renowned Journal of Urology published this month online version on a study that correlates psychiatric disorders and sexual trauma to female incontinence.

The study analyzed the answers of 121 women who completed two questionnaires, The Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 and also examined the women’s mental health, history of sexual trauma, age, race and obstetric history.

Leading researcher and Director of Neurology, Female Urology and Voiding Dysfunction at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Centre, Dr. Adam P. Klausner wrote:

“This is the first study to our knowledge to characterize the association of psychiatric comorbidities and sexual trauma with the type, severity and quality-of-life impact of lower urinary tract symptoms in women using validated surveys. The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities and sexual trauma is high in women veterans presenting for evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms,”

Full details of the study linking psychiatric disorders and sexual trauma to female incontinence can be found at Journal of Urology.