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 visit

Some Facts about Urinary Incontinence to Inspire You to Get Help

by General Urinary IncontinenceUrinary Incontinence

doctor visitAre you a woman suffering from urinary incontinence (UI)? Are you afraid to ask your doctor for help? If so, here are some facts and statistics about UI that may shock you, and give you the courage to ask for help.

You Are Not Alone
Between 13 and 18 million women are regularly affected by UI, and one in four women over the age of 18 has experienced UI. According to the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP), the number of women affected by UI will only increase as baby boomers age (and there are currently about 79 million baby boomers). At the same time, studies show that about 50% of the women suffering from UI never ask for help. Women who do ask for help wait, on average, almost seven years before doing so.

You are not alone in dealing with UI or in hesitating to ask for help.

Doctors Are More Aware of the UI Problem
According to AAFP, primary care physicians are now seeing many patients complaining of UI. In fact, UI has now become a more prevalent issue than even diabetes or Alzheimer’s for these doctors. Urologists and ob/gyns are seeing the same rise in patients complaining of UI. As a result, UI is starting to become one of the issues to which doctors pay close attention. What does this mean for you?

Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you about UI, and don’t be afraid to raise the issue if your doctor doesn’t ask.

UI is Not Normal at Any Age
An amazing 35% of the women who have never reported their UI symptoms to a doctor have not raised the issue because they assumed that UI was a normal part of aging. We’ve got news for you: UI is not normal at any age. While many aging women do experience UI, not all aging women do. More importantly, there are many treatments available for women experiencing UI at any age.

No matter your age, if you experience symptoms of UI you should get help.

Don’t run around with wet panties when you don’t have to. Arm yourself with knowledge by learning more about UI on this site, or ask for help from your doctor.

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 imagerymajestic / 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: How to Cope with Medication Side Effects

by GeneralGeneral Urinary IncontinenceUrinary IncontinenceWomen's Healthcare

Medication is one of the foremost conservative therapies for treating women’s urinary incontinence, and yet the number of women who will actually take–and keep taking–medication for their urinary incontinence is shockingly low. Many women will start on medication but fail to continue taking it.

This is surprising since medication has been shown to be an effective form of therapy for women’s urinary incontinence. For instance, in cases of urinary urgency, antimuscarinic medication is effective in reducing wetting accidents by about two-thirds. That is quite a high rate of success for a conservative therapy!

So why don’t more women keep taking medication for their urinary incontinence? Two reasons: lack of initial effectiveness and side effects.

Why Medication Doesn’t Always “Work” for Women’s Urinary  Incontinence
The first and most immediate reason women fail to keep taking medication for their urinary incontinence is because they feel that the medication “doesn’t work.” It turns out that these women are somewhat justified in their feelings. For most women with urinary incontinence, medication can often significantly improve symptoms, but most often will not completely “cure” urinary leakage. Most women will experience a significant reduction of urinary leakage accidents, but only when the appropriate medication is taken.

If you have decided to work with your doctor to find a medication to alleviate your urinary incontinence symptoms, know that the first–or even second–type of medication you try may not prove immediately effective. You and your doctor may need to experiment with a number of different medications before you find one that produces noticeable reductions in your urinary leakage and urinary urgency symptoms. Knowing this ahead of time will allow you to be patient during the “trial and error” process.

In addition, since medication alone does not usually produce a strong enough effect, you may work with your doctor to create a customized conservative therapy plan that combines a number of types of therapy. For instance, many women find success in combining medication with weight loss, pelvic floor retraining, bladder retraining, and/or diet modification. Be patient … and persevere!

Coping with the Side Effects of Medication for Women’s Urinary Incontinence
The second reason that women stop taking medications for urinary incontinence, even if the medications prove effective, is because the side effects outweigh the benefits. The most common side effects from medications prescribed for women’s urinary incontinence include:

  • dry mouth
  • drowsiness
  • skin irritation from gels or patches

Dry mouth is the most common side effect from these medications. Fortunately, with a little planning you can alleviate this side effect. Try sucking on sugar free candies, rinsing your mouth, chewing sugar-free gum, or taking small sips of water to lessen the feeling of dryness. You can also try spraying your mouth with over-the-counter forms of “artificial saliva.” Do not drink a large amount of water, as this may worsen your urinary incontinence symptoms.

With medications that cause drowsiness, try taking your medication dose at night. The medication will help you sleep, and may actually decrease nighttime urinary urgency (nocturia). If you experience skin irritation with patches and gels, try changing the location where the patch or gel is applied. If all else fails, change to the oral form of the medication.

By knowing and planning for the side effects of medication, you can actually prevent most side effects–or at least alleviate them enough so that the medication can be effective without becoming an irritant. As always, work with your doctor. Don’t be afraid to raise the issue of side effects, ask questions about prescribed medications, or ask for a different medication if your current medication isn’t working as well as you would like. Your doctor can’t help you unless he or she knows what is working for you and what isn’t. Be your own best health advocate and keep working with conservative therapies until you find a “recipe” that is right for you and your urinary incontinence symptoms!

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: The Power of Educating Yourself

by GeneralGeneral Urinary IncontinencePelvic Organ ProlapsePOPUrinary Incontinence

The old adage tells us that “knowledge is power.” When it comes to women’s urinary incontinence, knowledge is more than power … knowledge can be the difference between feeling insecure and isolated, and being your own best healthcare advocate.

Whether or not you have sought help from your doctor for your women’s urinary incontinence, the more you educate yourself about your condition, the more confident you will feel about your body, your life, and your ability to successfully cope with your symptoms. If the embarrassment of discussing your urinary incontinence is just too much for you to deal with at the moment, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways you can educate yourself about women’s urinary incontinence without ever leaving your home. Consider these easily-available resources you can use to learn as much as possible about urinary urgency, frequency, leakage, and other symptoms of urinary incontinence.

A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Health
We wrote this book for the exact purpose discussed above–so that women could educate themselves about pelvic health (including urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse). This guide book not only outlines the major issues and symptoms related to various women’s pelvic health conditions, but also details a complete at-home pelvic floor rehabilitation program. In addition, the book outlines a wide variety of conservative therapies for these pelvic issues, as well as reviewing the various surgical options available. This complete guide is an educational gem for women who want to know more … but are kind of afraid to ask their doctors! Click HERE for more details.

Discreet Online Resources
If you are digitally-inclined, there are tons of online resources available that can educate you about women’s urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and other pelvic health issues. A great place to get started is our Resources  page, which lists not only the informational resources we provide, but also the educational resources provided by a number of organizations dedicated to women’s health and women’s pelvic health.

Download the Ebook
For the do-it-yourself gal who wants to learn how to do a correct pelvic floor muscle contraction (of which the Kegel is one variety), we have a handy downloadable ebook that gives you the exact directions for doing just that! The ebook is available at no charge, and you can read it at your leisure. The information is easy to read and, at the same time, medically correct. Download the ebook HERE.

The Benefits of Educating Yourself
If you take the time to educate yourself about your pelvic health–and especially about women’s urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse–you will be way ahead of other women on the knowledge curve. This knowledge can serve you well. For instance, being knowledgeable about your pelvic health gives you the ability to:

  • know what’s going on with your own body
  • become your own best health advocate
  • converse intelligently with your healthcare provider and make good decisions for yourself (when to use conservative approaches, when to consider surgery)
  • know when your treatment plans need to change because your physical condition has changed
  • help other women suffering in silence by sharing your knowledge and experience

Those are some pretty big benefits, not just for yourself but also for women who are not as courageous in educating themselves about pelvic health. Education empowers you to be a healthcare advocate for yourself as well as the other women in your life–be they sisters, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, or friends. So why not? Go for it! Educate yourself, help yourself, then reach out and help others!

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: What Does Your Heath Insurance Cover?

by GeneralGeneral Urinary IncontinenceWomen's Healthcare

When you get that giant packet of coverage information in the mail from your health insurance company, do you roll your eyes and stuff the entire packet into the back of some file drawer? If so, then you are among the majority! While much of the information in the packet is important, wading through all of those pages when you need just one specific bit of information isn’t easy. In fact, tracking down coverage information can be downright frustrating!

But guess what? If you suffer from women’s urinary incontinence you may actually want to spend the time and effort to find out what your health insurance covers.

The High Cost of Women’s Urinary Incontinence
Did you know that a woman with urinary incontinence in the U.S. spends an average of more than $1,000 per year doing extra laundry and buying disposable pads or diapers? This number is only an estimate because women’s urinary incontinence tops the list as one of the “most embarrassing” topics women refuse to discuss with their doctors–or anyone else, for that matter! Other estimates put the figure as high as $1,500 per year. Plus, this figure doesn’t even include the cost of other products, such as special wipes, creams, deodorants, and plastic bags (for carrying around soiled clothing).

The fact of the matter is that most women with urinary incontinence have never sat down with their checkbook and calculator to total up the financial cost of “coping” with their condition on their own. They would be shocked if they did. In addition, few add up the social costs associated with this condition, which can include a shrinking social life, lack of exercise and sex, and the hyper-vigilance of looking for bathrooms all over town.

What Does Your Health Insurance Cover for Women’s Urinary Incontinence?
If you don’t know that answer to this question, and have been coping with your urinary incontinence on your own, the time is right to get some information from your health insurance company. If digging through all that paperwork seems like too much work (and it can be!) then simply pick up the phone and call your insurance company. Most companies are more than happy to look up the information you need. You might be surprised at how much coverage you actually have. Many insurance companies will cover some or all of the cost of:

  • absorbent pads or adult diapers
  • one or more appointments with your family doctor
  •  one or more appointments with specialists such as urologists or ob/gyns
  • medication for urinary incontinence
  •  medical tests associated with urinary incontinence
  • several visits to a physical therapist specializing in women’s pelvic health
  • catheters
  • surgeries for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse

That’s a pretty long list! If you have good health insurance coverage, there’s really no need for you to pay the entire cost of coping with your condition–that’s why you have insurance. However, for your insurance company to help you financially, you will almost certainly need to get a specific medical diagnosis of your condition from a healthcare practitioner approved by your insurance company. What a great excuse to call your doctor!

We know … talking about urinary incontinence with your doctor (or anyone else) can be embarrassing. But isn’t a little embarrassment worth it if you can get the financial and medical help you need to cope with, decrease, or even eliminate your symptoms of urinary incontinence? From the stories that we have heard from our women patients with urinary incontinence, the trade off is definitely worth it!

When it comes to getting help from your health insurance company and doctor for your women’s urinary incontinence, follow Nike’s slogan: “Just do it!”

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