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.

 

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

doctor

Would You Rather Have a Red Face or Wet Panties?

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary Incontinence

doctorEmbarrassment.

It is the main reason women suffering from urinary incontinence (UI) hesitate to discuss the problem with their doctors. Two-thirds of women never do. The women who do ask for help from healthcare professionals wait, on average, almost seven years before doing so.

That’s a long time to wait, but nothing compares to the true story of a woman who waited 40 years before seeking help! This woman had been dealing with wet panties since the vaginal delivery of her youngest child 40 years ago. Why did this woman wait so long?

Forty Years of Wet Panties
This woman was kind enough to share her story with us so that we could share it with you. While her delay in asking for help is extreme, her story is much like that of many women dealing with UI. Below are the reasons she waited so long before getting help. If you suffer from UI then these will probably sound familiar. She says:

-I was embarrassed to tell my doctor.
-I thought my UI would go away naturally.
-I lost some weight and the UI symptoms got better.
-UI was not really interfering with my life until now.
-I was afraid I would be told nothing could be done.
-I was afraid they would just tell me I was too fat. In fact, one doctor did tell me that.
-Every woman in my family has had this problem so I thought it was normal.

Wow! Does that ring any bells for you? If you have used any of these reasons to justify not seeking help for your UI, you might want to reconsider your position. Here are some thoughts to consider about UI.

Urinary incontinence:

-is not healthy or normal at any age, even if it “runs in the family”
-can and does interfere with your life, whether you acknowledge it or not
-can improve with weight loss, but you may need additional treatment to get maximum relief from your symptoms
-usually does not go away without treatment
-is treatable, with most women finding significant relief or cure via conservative therapies or surgery

The bottom line is that UI can have a stronger negative impact on your life over the long run than any embarrassment you might feel about seeking help from a healthcare professional. Think about it: would you rather be red-faced for a short period of time or deal with wet panties for the rest of your life?

If you do decide to get help for your UI, here are some resources to get you started:

Some Facts about Urinary Incontinence to Inspire You to Get Help
How to Find the Right Doctor to Treat Your Urinary Incontinence
Discover Which Kind of UI You Have

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 stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Women’s Urinary Incontinence: What Questions Will Your Doctor Ask?

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

Have you finally taken the big step of calling your doctor and setting an appointment to deal with your urinary incontinence symptoms? If so, good for you.

To prepare yourself for your appointment, you might like to know what kinds of questions your doctor will ask you. Well, we can give you the list of questions, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Most physicians in the U.S. will follow the guidelines issued by the Agency for Policy and Research, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to these guidelines, physicians are encouraged to ask the following questions:

•Can you tell me about the problems you are having with your bladder?
•Can you tell me about the trouble you are having holding your urine?
•How often do you lose urine when you don’t want to?
•When do you lose urine when you don’t want to?
•What activities or situations are linked with leakage?
•Is it associated with laughing, coughing or getting to the bathroom?
•How often do you wear a pad for protection?
•Do you use other protective devices to collect your urine?
•How long have you been having a problem with urine?

There you have it. Now that you know what questions your doctor is likely to ask, you can prepare your answers ahead of time, so you get the most from your appointment. In addition you may want to check out our three suggested steps for preparing for your appointment:

Three Steps to Prepare for Your Doctor’s Appointment

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How to Find the Right Doctor to Treat Your Urinary Incontinence

by Find the Right DoctorGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

It can be hard to ask for help with your urinary incontinence (UI). In fact, the average affected woman waits seven years before getting help. What can make the situation even worse is finally asking for help, and then showing up at the doctor’s office and not getting the help you need.

Discussing UI is embarrassing enough, and dealing with a doctor who is insensitive or doesn’t offer the right solutions for you can make you regret asking for help. So how do you find the right doctor to treat your UI? Women who have experienced successful treatment for UI typically get recommendations from one of these sources:

  • Other women who have been treated for UI
  • Referrals from their family doctor
  • Advertisements or internet referral sites

Word-of-Mouth Still Works Best
No one understands the trials and tribulations of UI like another woman who has suffered the same symptoms. Ask women you trust if they have been treated for UI, and if they had a good experience from their care provider. According to the Women’s Sexual Health Foundation, asking women who have already been treated is an excellent way to find a care provider, since these women know “which doctors and other professionals have been helpful.” These same women “often know the inside scoop,” meaning they can provide a more personal view on whether the doctor showed caring, had the right knowledge, and offered useful treatments.

Your Family Doctor Knows You Well
If you don’t feel comfortable asking your women friends for referrals, check in with your family doctor. Chances are that he or she knows you pretty well. Many patients follow this route. A study by the Center for Studying Health System Change shows that seven out of ten people looking for a specialist relied on referrals from their primary care physician. One of the benefits of asking your family doctor for a referral is that he or she is likely to match you with a specialist who suits your personal treatment preferences and personality. They may also be able to refer you to a specialist who works within your health insurance plan.

Find a Specialist through Advertisements or the Internet
While it used to be taboo for doctors to advertise their services, these days it is a perfectly normal practice–and can help you find the UI specialist you need. A doctor who advertises a specialty in UI is likely to have a lot of experience treating this condition with a variety of methods.

Another option is to browse internet referral sites for doctors specializing in treating UI. If you do choose to use the internet as a referral resource, experts recommend that you look through multiple referral sites for greater accuracy. Also, place more importance on objective information (“Dr. X followed up within 24 hours to review my test results.”) than on subjective comments (“Dr. X was a jerk!”).

If you suffer from UI, there’s a world of help out there. All you have to do is ask. These three sources should give you some great places to start looking for the right doctor to help you with your UI.

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.

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RESOURCES

Online Referral Sites
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/17/ep.finding.docs.online/index.html

Word-of-Mouth Study
http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/1028/

Women’s Sexual Health Foundation
http://twshf.blogspot.com/2009/02/finding-doctor-who-can-help.html