WJHG - Medical Minute - Headlines

Help For Urinary Incontinence

Updated: Thu 10:44 AM, Apr 21, 2011

For some people a simple sneeze, laugh or cough can cause an embarrassing outcome.

Urinary incontinence is a problem that many people just don't like to talk about.

Those who suffer from it will sometimes alter their lifestyle to keep from having an accident.

Dr. Timothy Ramsden says "it's highly under reported...and can effect quality of life which can lead to serious health issues.

If the women don't go out and exercise, it can lead to other chronic illnesses and obesity."

Most bladder control problems happen because muscles are either too weak or too active.

So how can you know if you have a problem?

Dr. Ramsden says obviously you look for wetness and that can vary from very small amounts or you can actually leak very large amounts of liquids.

There are two major types of incontinence. Urge incontinence and Stress incontinence.

"The urge incontinence is where you have that sudden urge to go to the bathroom and you just don't make it in time and the stress incontinence is generally associated with activity or sneezing and coughing, laughing, picking up objects, bending over."

A lot of people believe it's just a natural part of aging.

"While it is a part of aging it's a part of aging that you don't have to live your life with."

Treatment depends on the type of problem a patient has and what best fits their lifestyle.

"Some of the interventions are pretty minimal and if you do have surgery it has an excellent outcome."

The results speak for themselves.

"Better than 90% of women are completely dry."

For women incontinence can be caused by surgery, child birth, or fibroid tumors.

For men it's most often prostate problems...

For both men and women it can be obesity, chronic lung conditions or just the aging process.


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