Urinary incontinence is embarrassing to talk about and hard to admit, but doctors say it can be fixed.
“You don’t need to live your life wearing a diaper all the time,” said Dr. Christopher Hutchison, at Intermountain Healthcare’s Riverton Hospital in Salt Lake City.
He said he often has to go the roundabout way of getting women to talk about their urinary incontinence, but a good percentage of his patients are dealing with it.
“I’d say about 40 percent of them won’t say anything about it if I don’t ask,” he said.
Various types of incontinence — stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a mixture of the two — can be caused by poor genes, weak muscles, unhealthy lifestyles and/or an overactive bladder muscle, among other things. Most commonly, a leaky or bulging bladder has something to do with vaginal prolapse, which is a splitting of the muscles in the vaginal wall, allowing the bladder to sag internally.
Multiple pregnancies, hysterectomy and menopause can also contribute to the causes of female incontinence. However, that is not always the case.
Many women put up with the symptoms, but Hutchison said nearly all types of incontinence can be fixed, resulting in a better quality of life.
“There’s a social stigma associated with incontinence,” Snyder said. Putting up with the symptoms over the years, however, will not cause permanent damage.
Weight loss can sometimes help in the case of stress incontinence, which happens when coughing, sneezing, jogging or other activity leads to a loss of control of the bladder. But oftentimes, women must endure the inconveniences of urine leakage while losing the weight as most types of exercise can spur it on.
Men don’t typically have the same issues with incontinence because their bladder is supported by the structure of the pelvis, Hutchison said.
He hopes women aren’t just living with the constant annoyances incontinence causes, dealing with absorbent pads or diapers. Most cases, he said, can be prevented by “just taking care of yourself.”
Chronic constipation, consumption of caffeinated or carbonated beverages, as well as those with artificial sweeteners, can irritate the bladder, leading to more trips to the restroom and an inability to completely empty the bladder, Hutchison said. Smoking, which breaks down the body’s collagen supply, and chronic coughing that puts stress on muscles can also lead to incontinence
Snyder, a specialist who deals with kidney, bladder and prostate issues, said he’s seen patients ranging from 17 years of age to 81, but urinary incontinence symptoms are most common in women during their late 30s and early 40s.
Achieving normalcy is the goal of any treatment, which can include medications, surgery and nonsurgical procedures.
“The secret is a good relationship between the patient and her doctor,” Snyder said, adding that an open dialogue helps to arrive at the best possible outcomes, which is an informed decision.
Eastbourne event aims to answer bladder questions
Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
Men and women with adult incontinence or other bladder or bowel problems are invited to attend an event at the Eastbourne Arndale Centre next week.
Medical experts will be on hand from 09:00 to 16:00 BST on September 20th to answer people’s questions about bladder and bowel issues.
The event, which forms part of National Continence Awareness Week, is due to take place near the centre’s Sainsbury’s store and could be useful for those relying on Tena Lady or other adult incontinence products.
Debbie Davis, a community continence nurse advisor with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, told the Eastbourne Herald: “Bladder and bowel problems are still a taboo subject that understandably people do not want to discuss.
“Many of us suffer from bladder or bowel related problems at one time or another in our lives.”
Ms Davis noted that urinary incontinence and other bladder and bowel problems can affect a person’s relationships and quality of life.
But she insisted: “It is never too late to get help and problems should not be ignored.”
Study highlights benefits of conservative treatments for female incontinence
Issue Codes Incontinence Products for Women
Conservative treatments, such as pelvic floor exercises and bladder training, are often effective in women with urinary incontinence, a review has shown.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota looked at the findings of previous studies in order to assess the comparative effectiveness of common treatments.
In total, they looked at 97 randomised and 44 non-randomised studies, all of which had analysed the effectiveness of non-pharmacological, conservative treatments for female incontinence.
The researchers found that conservative treatments were more effective than no treatment at all, both for easing urinary incontinence and improving patients’ quality of life.
Pelvic floor muscle training was found to be the most effective method for treating incontinence and improving quality of life.
Bladder training may also provide some benefit, although the treatment does not seem to be as effective as pelvic floor muscle training.
According to the researchers’ analysis, one in three women who undertake pelvic floor muscle training achieves continence.
This compares with one in six women who do both pelvic floor muscle training and bladder training, and one in six who undergo electrical stimulation.
For urge incontinence in particular, one in four women benefit from improvements in their incontinence after undergoing percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, during which a needle electrode is inserted into the leg to deliver an adjustable electrical pulse to the sacral nerve plexus.
The researchers also observed that obese women with urinary incontinence tended to be less reliant on incontinence pads, such as Tena Comfort Plus, if they lost weight.
Presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the International Continence Society, the study authors concluded that pelvic floor muscle training alone or in combination with bladder training, as well as electrical stimulation, “should be first-line treatment choices for women with urinary incontinence”.
They added: “Conservative treatments have an important role in the treatment of female urinary incontinence and should be incorporated into ambulatory care practice settings.”
Medication may ease urge incontinence
Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
A number of medicines can be taken to relieve symptoms of urge incontinence, a medic has said.
Responding to a reader’s question about urinary incontinence in his column on the STL Today website, medic Dr Paul Donohue revealed that medicines can play an “important” role in treating this condition.
He explained: “They calm the bladder muscles so they aren’t contracting when the bladder is only slightly filled.”
However, medication is less likely to be effective in people with stress urinary incontinence, in which a person leaks urine when they cough, laugh or sneeze.
Dr Donohue also noted that certain foods and drinks should be avoided by those with urge urinary incontinence.
He advised people to “stay away from alcohol, carbonated beverages, milk, milk products, honey, sugar and artificial sweeteners.”
NHS experts also suggest drinking between six and eight glasses of water a day, although a person’s GP may make a different recommendation depending on an individual’s particular bladder condition.
Exercising – particularly pelvic floor muscle exercises – may also be beneficial for those with urinary incontinence.
Clinical trials show long-term effectiveness of incontinence therapy
Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
Women who undergo a therapy called percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) often benefit from long-term relief from overactive bladder and urinary incontinence, clinical studies have found.
Scientists will present two new trials at a meeting of the International Continence Society in Glasgow later this month (August 29th to September 2nd).
According to David Kaysen, president and chief executive officer of medical device company Uroplasty, the ongoing studies demonstrate the “long-term efficacy” of PTNS in the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome.
He revealed: “The studies build on a growing body of evidence that validates the treatment protocol, usefulness with both young and elderly patients, and the durability of the improvements with continued PTNS therapy.”
During PTNS, a fine needle electrode is inserted into the leg near the tibial nerve.
An adjustable electrical pulse is then delivered through the nerve to the sacral plexus, which regulates bladder and pelvic floor function.
The technique can be used to treat symptoms of urgency, frequency and urge incontinence in patients with overactive bladder syndrome.
Gynaecologist discusses incontinence treatment options
Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
Women with urinary incontinence or overactive bladder can benefit from a range of treatment options, an expert has said.
Many women believe they no longer need to see a gynaecologist once they have gone through menopause, but this is not the case, according to West Virginia University’s Dr Charles Hochberg.
The gynaecologist revealed that incontinence and overactive bladder are among the most common problems women face as they get older.
He told the West Virginia Health Report: “Certain medications can be very effective; exercising certain floor muscles could be very effective and surgery may be effective as well.
“And much of the surgery now being done for incontinence is a lot simpler with less morbidity than we had in the past.”
One of the surgical options for overactive bladder syndrome is percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS).
During the treatment, an electrical pulse is delivered via the tibial nerve in the leg to the sacral plexus, which regulates bladder and pelvic floor function.
Solifenacin may ease nocturia in patients with overactive bladder
Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
People who regularly have to use the toilet at night may benefit from an anticholinergic drug called solifenacin, new research shows.
Solifenacin is designed to treat overactive bladder in patients with or without urge urinary incontinence.
It works by reducing smooth muscle tone in the bladder, thereby allowing it to retain more urine and reducing episodes of adult incontinence and urgency.
According to a study in the Journal of Urology, men and women in Japan tended to have fewer episodes of nocturia if they took solifenacin.
Japanese researchers recruited 962 patients, all of whom were aged 20 or older and had overactive bladder issues.
They found that 10mg solifenacin was associated with 0.46 fewer episodes of nocturia per night, on average, compared with a placebo (dummy treatment).
The drug also helped to improve the length of undisturbed sleep among patients.
Study authors concluded: “Solifenacin 10mg decreases nocturia episodes. Solifenacin 5 and 10mg increases night-time volume voided per micturition (urination) and may improve quality of sleep and sleep-related quality of life in patients with overactive bladder.”
Many women with incontinence ‘improve without surgery’
Issue Codes Incontinence Products for Women
Female incontinence is a common condition, affecting around 13 per cent of women in the UK.
Some women opt to undergo surgery, such as tape or sling procedures for stress urinary incontinence, or nerve stimulation for an overactive bladder or urge incontinence.
However, according to Esther Dolowich, a physical therapist at Alta Bates Summit Medical Centre in Oakland, California, surgery is often not necessary as less invasive techniques can be effective.
She told the Contra Costa Times: “So many women improve significantly without surgery, just with education and exercise.
“Mindfulness, education, exercise and just paying attention can help.”
One woman who benefited from physical therapy after becoming reliant on incontinence pads is Susie, a 34-year-old mother-of-two.
She told the news provider: “I noticed when I coughed or laughed or if I was reaching for something I had some leakage.
“(After physical therapy) I felt more comfortable going out. I didn’t feel like my life had to revolve around if there was a bathroom around or not.”
Hampton Court show garden raises awareness of overactive bladder
Issue Codes Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
A garden at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show has been doing its bit to raise awareness of overactive bladder, a condition that can cause adult incontinence.
The ‘Control the Uncontrollable’ garden formed part of a national campaign called ‘A Matter of Urgency’.
Created by award-winning designer Jill Foxley, the garden featured a maze and paved pathway to symbolise the different paths that someone with an overactive bladder may take to manage the condition.
It also boasted a large granite sphere on a water base that can be turned by visitors, enabling them to take control.
Ms Foxley told the Elmbridge Today website: “My inspiration for the garden came from knowing that many people who have symptoms of overactive bladder are too embarrassed to talk about something they feel is a taboo subject, and they don’t know where to go for help.
“With this garden I’m encouraging people to see hope at the end of the maze, by recognising that you can control your waterworks, rather than letting your waterworks control you.”
The garden was visited by Dr Christian Jessen, from Channel 4′s Embarrassing Bodies programme, who told the website that people with overactive bladder should speak to their doctor, as help is available for the condition.
An overactive bladder is a common cause of urge urinary incontinence and can be linked to diabetes, bladder stones, neurological conditions, dementia or a spinal injury.
Majority of women with incontinence ‘benefit from physical therapy’
Issue Codes - Incontinence Accessories and Hygiene
Female incontinence is a common problem, but many women are reluctant to seek help because of a sense of embarrassment.
In reality, however, many women can greatly reduce their reliance on adult incontinence products simply by performing regular exercises, according to physical therapist Lisa Kiesel.
Ms Kiesel, who specialises in pelvic floor problems, told the News Junky Journal: “Scientific evidence shows that 80 per cent of women can improve with physical therapy that focuses on muscle strength and healthy bladder habits.
“There are treatments that help so women don’t have to deal with these annoying symptoms.”
About 13 per cent of women in the UK are thought to be affected by female incontinence, according to NHS figures.
In the vast majority of cases, the problem is caused by stress or urge incontinence.
Stress incontinence occurs when the pelvic floor muscles are too weak to prevent urination, while leakage that occurs when a woman feels an intense need to pass urine is known as urge incontinence.