bag on woman's head

Women’s Urinary Incontinence – Overcoming Embarrassment

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceResources and AppsUrinary Incontinence

bag on woman's headIf you are a woman suffering from urinary incontinence, here are three things you should know:

  1. Only about 50% of women with urinary incontinence ever seek help
  2. Embarrassment is one of the primary reasons preventing these women from asking for help
  3. According to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Policy, urinary incontinence can be improved in 8 out of 10 cases

Does this sound crazy to you?

Why Urinary Incontinence is Embarrassing
Despite the fact that urinary incontinence affects more people than conditions like diabetes or Alzheimer’s, half of all women with urinary incontinence won’t seek help. Those who do seek help wait, on average, almost seven years. Why?

In a recent seminar co-sponsored by the National Association for Continence, experts discussed how cultural taboos prevent people from talking about this topic. These experts explained how shame is associated with bathroom issues from an early age, during the potty-training stage. Young children are taught that they are either “good girls” or “bad girls,” depending on whether they “performed” well in potty training.

Years later, the same “good girl” and “bad girl” language subconsciously haunts women, and keeps them from discussing their problems of urinary incontinence with healthcare providers.

How to Overcome the Embarrassment
While discussing urinary incontinence is embarrassing for many women, there are ways to overcome that emotion. After all, most of us have learned to overcome embarrassment about other situations in our life, why not about urinary incontinence? If you are ready to get over your embarrassment and get help, here are two simple steps you can take:

Discuss Your Situation with the Right Person
Chat with a close woman friend who has had urinary incontinence and sought help. Not only will she understand and sympathize with your situation, but she will be able to offer you guidance and advice based on her own experiences. You need not feel embarrassed talking to someone who has had the same experiences as you.

Learn More About Your Condition
Knowledge is power. Learning more about urinary incontinence gives you the knowledge and power you need to ask for help from a healthcare provider. Learn more about the different kinds of urinary incontinence and the available treatment options. Knowledge about your condition helps you understand that there are solutions available, and gives you the words you need to comfortably discuss your condition with your doctor.

People say that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood. We say that it’s never too early to seek help for your urinary incontinence. The earlier you address your condition, the faster you will see positive results with the right treatment. Commit to taking a step toward drier panties today, whether it be talking to someone about your condition or learning more about urinary incontinence online.

 

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

doctor

Solving Urinary Incontinence: Avoid Doorknob Conversations with Your Doc

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceResources and AppsWomen's Healthcare

doctorWhen it comes to female urinary incontinence, many women are doorknob conversationalists. What’s a “doorknob conversation”?

It’s where you avoid talking about urinary incontinence during the entire doctor’s appointment because you are too embarrassed to bring it up. Then, at the last moment, literally when your hand is on the doorknob and you are walking out the door, you raise the issue.

Those conversations usually start with, “By the way …” or “I forgot to mention this, but …”

You know what we’re talking about, right? We’ve all done it, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Unfortunately, these kinds of conversations prevent you from getting the help you need. Your doctor isn’t likely to have time at the end of your appointment to fully discuss your urinary incontinence issues, so you’ll end up having to come back for another appointment.

Three Steps to Avoiding Doorknob Conversations
Instead of waiting until you are walking out the door to ask your doc for help, get right to the heart of the issue at the beginning of the appointment. Here are three tips to help you avoid doorknob conversations.

1. Be Clear About the Purpose of Your Appointment
When you call to schedule your appointment, be sure to tell the staff at your doctor’s office that the purpose of your appointment is to discuss urinary incontinence. Be sure to use the words “urinary incontinence” so that your meaning isn’t lost in translation. Be firm with yourself about this!

2. Jot Down Your Symptoms and Questions
To be sure you get exactly the help you need, make a list of all of your symptoms. Include items like when you leak urine, how much urine you leak, triggers for urine leakage, and any other related symptoms. Make a list of all the medications you currently take, as some of these could be related to your symptoms. Finally, jot down any questions you want your doctor to answer.

3. Grab a Buddy
If you are afraid that you will chicken out at the last moment, either by skipping your appointment or failing to actually discuss your symptoms, take a buddy with you to your appointment. Ask your buddy to remind you of the purpose of your appointment, and ensure that you cover every item on your list during your appointment. A trusted friend can offer a lot of moral support and courage.

Need more tips? Check out these resources:

Using the Right Words – Don’t Let Your Symptoms Get Lost in Translation
Learn About the Different Types of Urinary Incontinence 
How to Keep a Voiding Diary

 
If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image courtesy of marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What Will You Free Yourself From This Independence Day?

by General Urinary IncontinenceResources and AppsUrinary Incontinence

Happy Independence Day! What a wonderful day to consider a problem that bothers millions of ladies all over the world:

poor pelvic health

Whether you suffer from women’s urinary incontinence, decreased sexual sensation, or pelvic organ prolapse, today–Independence Day–is a great day to consider how you can gain independence from poor pelvic health.

Don’t Delay – Get Independence Now!
Whether you have urinary urgency and frequency, urinary leakage, pelvic organ prolapse symptoms, or decreased sensation “down there,” here’s what you need to know: you don’t need to deal with these symptoms anymore. You just need to declare your independence from these troublesome symptoms of poor women’s pelvic health.

Try these resources to find the motivation, education, and help to declare your independence!

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: What You Give Up When You Don’t Seek Help

Women’s Pelvic Health: Why You Should Talk to Your Doctor Now – Video

Got Women’s Urinary Incontinence? Tests You Can Expect

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: The Power of Knowing Yourself

Tired of Being Publicly Humiliated by Women’s Urinary Incontinence? Bladder Retraining Can Help

Women: Are Your Bedroom Encounters “Not” Instead of “Hot”?

Women’s Urinary Incontinence – Coping at Work – Video

Pelvic Floor Exercises: How a Physical Therapist Can Help Improve Your Results

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: Overcoming Your Fear of Surgery

How Do You Talk to Your Partner About Women’s Urinary Incontinence?

Actually Talking to Your Partner About Women’s Urinary Incontinence

Get it? Got it? Good! Now go forth, declare your independence from symptoms of poor pelvic health. Take whatever massive action you need to gain your independence. You can do it. We know you can!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Why You Need a Custom Pelvic Floor Exercise Program

by Pelvic Floor MusclesPelvic Floor WeaknessResources and Apps

If you are considering starting a pelvic floor exercise program, we congratulate you! Your pelvic floor muscles, like any other muscles in your body, need exercise on a regular basis. Doing correct exercises for your pelvic floor can help with pelvic conditions like women’s urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and decreased sexual sensation.

But did you know that not just any pelvic floor exercise program will do? You actually need a program that is customized to your pelvic floor muscle… more specifically, the level of fitness of your pelvic floor muscles. Here’s why…

Why You Need a Custom Program for Your Pelvic Floor
Not having a customized exercise program is like going to the gym and starting a weight-lifting program… with whatever weights happen to be on the bench press bar. Not having a customized program may mean that you are doing pelvic floor exercises that are either too easy or too difficult for your current level of pelvic floor fitness.

What happens when you do pelvic floor exercises not suitable to your current level of pelvic floor fitness?

1. Too Easy
When you use an exercise program that is too easy for your level of pelvic floor fitness, you will not get much benefit from doing these exercises. Exercise fitness studies indicate that you need to exercise your pelvic floor muscles at maximum intensity for your current level of fitness for a short period of time to gain maximum results. Doing many repetitions at a lower intensity will not yield beneficial results.

2. Too Difficult
On the other hand, if you attempt to do exercises that are too difficult or too intense for your current level of pelvic fitness, you may end up engaging the wrong muscles. Studies show that when women attempt to do pelvic floor contractions too intense for their level of pelvic floor muscle fitness, these women tend to engage their buttock or inner thigh muscles instead of their pelvic floor muscles.

Designing a Program “Just Right for You
Like Goldilocks, having a pelvic floor exercise program that is “just right” for your level of fitness is the key to success. When you exercise your pelvic floor muscles at your current maximum level of intensity, for just 15 minutes per day or less, you will gain the maximum benefit.

How do you know what level of exercise is just right for you? You need to use a program based on these factors:

  • strength of your current pelvic floor muscles contraction
  • length of time you can hold a correct pelvic floor muscle contraction
  • number of repetitions you can do correct pelvic floor muscle contractions

A correct pelvic floor muscle contraction is one that engages only your pelvic floor muscles, not overflow muscles such as your inner thigh or buttock muscles.

To design the perfect at-home pelvic floor exercise program for your current level of fitness, first test your level of fitness, then design a program based on that level of fitness. For complete instructions on how to test yourself and design your custom program, check out our book. We give you complete step-by-step instructions for testing and designing, plus advanced directions on how to integrate these exercises into your daily life easily and with maximum results!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Got Questions About Urinary Urgency, Frequency, or Leakage? We’ve Got Answers

by GeneralGeneral Urinary IncontinenceResources and Apps

If you are a woman with symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency, or leakage, then you have women’s urinary incontinence. Chances are that you also have questions about your symptoms… and how to alleviate those symptoms.

Why is it that women with urinary incontinence have so many questions? Because at least 50% of women with urinary incontinence never seek medical help. Chances are strong that those women have questions.

Whether or not you have sought medical help for your condition (and we strongly suggest that you do), if you have questions about your urinary incontinence, we have discreet online resources for you… and answers to your questions!

Online Resources and Answers for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
Knowledge is power, and we applaud all women who want to learn more about their urinary incontinence symptoms. While your healthcare provider can be one of your best allies and sources of information, you can also learn a great deal about your condition by reading and watching online resources. Here are some great discreet online resources on women’s urinary incontinence:

Online Resource for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
Downloadable Ebook
Educational Blog
YouTube Channel

Specific Answers for Specific Questions
If you don’t find the answers you seek about your urinary urgency, leakage, or frequency, feel free to ask us. We have years of experience helping women cope with and alleviate their symptoms of urinary incontinence, and we love to help. If you have questions, feel free to ask via our online social media forums. We check these forums regularly, and answer questions:

Facebook
Twitter

If you are a woman who has successfully alleviated symptoms of urinary incontinence, we invite you to visit these forums and share your knowledge and wisdom! There are thousands of women who can and will benefit from your experience… so please do share!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Diet Modification for Women’s Urinary Incontinence, Part III – What Happens When You “Whoops”?

by General Urinary IncontinenceResources and AppsUrinary IncontinenceWomen's Healthcare

This blog is part 8 of an 11 article series of 11 New Year’s resolutions that actually work and WILL improve your pelvic health. Get the full list of all 11 New Year’s resolutions HERE.

For some women, diet modification alone is enough to relieve their symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency. For other women, this conservative therapy works best when combined with other lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and bladder retraining. Regardless, most women who modify their diets to avoid bladder irritants, such as caffeine and acidic foods, do find some relief from incontinence symptoms such urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage.

Diet Modification: What Happens When You “Whoops”?
The woman who has never experienced a “whoops” while on a diet is a rare woman indeed! After all, what woman isn’t occasionally tempted by that towering piece of chocolate cake or that steaming cup of espresso? The result? A “whoops” in the diet. For a woman who doesn’t suffer from urinary incontinence, such a slip is no big deal. An extra workout on the treadmill or more careful monitoring of the diet will most likely take care of any side effects from that diet slip.

But for the woman who does have urinary urgency or leakage as a result of eating or drinking bladder irritants, such a dietary slip can create a bigger problem. In fact, ingesting bladder irritants can have immediate and unwanted effects … namely, a bladder leakage accident! So what do you do if you find that you have accidentally fallen prey to a tasty treat and irritated your bladder? You use this emergency recipe to reduce urine acidity: a bicarbonate slush.

What is a Bicarbonate Slush?
Don’t let the word “bicarbonate” scare you–it is just a fancy name for baking soda, that powdery white stuff that many of us keep in our refrigerators. In fact, baking soda does pretty much the same job in the refrigerator as it does for you when you have eaten something acidic that irritates your bladder. Baking soda, being alkaline (having a pH higher than seven), tends to neutralize acidic substances. In the refrigerator, baking soda neutralizes the smells caused mostly by acidic foods. When you drink a bicarbonate slush, made by mixing baking soda and water, the baking soda neutralizes the offending acidic food you just ate.

To make a bicarbonate slush, simply mix one tablespoon of baking soda with 16 ounces (or two cups) of pure water. Drink the slush right away, and immediately drink eight more ounces (one cup) of additional water. You should begin to feel your urinary urgency and other symptoms subside fairly quickly. Do not use this slush without first checking with your doctor if you have high blood pressure or are prone to retaining salt.

The good news about the bicarbonate slush is that it is simple to make. Even if you are at a party when you experience a dietary slip, your host  most likely has baking soda on hand. Just whip up a slushy cocktail, chug it down, and consider yourself relieved!

If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to check out our book, leave a comment, contact us, download our free ebook, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: 4 Helpful Smartphone Apps

by Resources and Apps
A couple of years ago we blogged about a helpful restroom-locator smartphone app.  Back then, these kinds of apps were few and far between. In fact, the most useful one we found was Sit or Squat.. At that time, this appeared to be an independent app that worked a lot like any public domain app—you took what was helpful, and hopefully left some helpful information, too.Since then, the app has been taken over by Charmin, which makes sense if you think about the integral role that toilet paper plays in women’s urinary incontinence! The name has changed, but the features remain the same or better. You can still access restroom locations, review restrooms, and add comments.