It probably doesnt help much to know youre not alone. Over 13 million Americans have leaky bladders; one out of four is a woman. According to the National Association of Continence (NAFC) even though the problem impacts lives, many sufferers never seek help for their situation.
The most common reason for not getting help is that people feel urinary incontinence is just a natural part of aging. Sadly, the condition often leads sufferers to dim their lives: give up exercising traveling, visiting with family, shopping everyday activities that were once enjoyed and taken for granted. Its unfortunate, because there are several successful medical approaches to dealing with a leaky bladder.
Lets look at them.
DRUGS
Anticholinergics: The most frequent cause of overactive bladder, experienced by the urge to urinate, is caused by abnormal bladder contractions. Drugs called Anticholinergics are effective in treating the contractions. There are several on the market: (Oxybutynin (Ditropan),Tolterodine (Detrol), Darifenacin (Enablex), Solifenacin (Vesicare),Trospium Sanctura), Fesoterodine (Toviaz). All these drugs act by blocking the action of a chemical messenger acetylcholine that sends the signals that trigger contractions. The most common side effect of Anticholinergics is mouth dryness which can often be relieved just by chewing gum.
Estrogen can help to maintain the strength and flexibility of tissues in the bladder area. Medical experts believe the drop in estrogen after menopause contributes to the deterioration of the supportive tissues around the bladder and urethra, which makes these tissues weak and may aggravate stress incontinence. Applying low-dose, topical estrogen in the form of a vaginal cream, ring or patch has been shown to help tone and rejuvenate these areas and relieve some of the symptoms of stress incontinence or urge incontinence. Often estrogen, in patch or ring form, is coupled with other therapies. General Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) is not recommended.Imipramine (Tofranil) is an antidepressant which helps the bladder muscles relax at the same time that it causes muscles at the bladder neck to contract. Even though it helps with leaky bladder it causes drowsiness for this reason it is usually just prescribed in the evenings for nighttime incontinence. Botox: Researchers are looking into new drugs and therapies, including botulinum toxin type A (Botox). Injections of botulinum toxin type A into the bladder muscle may benefit people who have an overactive bladder. Botulinum toxin type A blocks the actions of acetylcholine and paralyzes the bladder muscle.
Surgical Solutions: For severe stress incontinence, collagen or synthetic implants can plump up urethral tissue to stem urine flow. Sling" surgery helps re-suspend the bladder neck to adjust urine flow. Less-invasive versions use natural or synthetic tape to tighten the tissues around the urethra to slow the flow. OR TRYKegel exercises. Tighten pelvic floor muscles which are the muscles women use to stop urinating. Heres how: tighten the rectum as if holding back gas and contracting the vagina as if stopping urine flow. Do 30 to 40 Kegels in a day, gradually holding contractions up to 10 seconds. Kegel exercises have been proven to help mild to moderate urge and stress incontinence in two to three months. Tighten pelvic muscles before you cough or sneeze.Writing it down. Keep a chart of your urination and leakage to figure out if there is a pattern. Once you determine the pattern, you can retrain your bladder and plan to empty it before you might leak. You can gradually train yourself to increase the time between the urge to urinate by 10 minute intervals. Some people can learn to increase the wait up to four hours.Changing your diet. Some foods and drinks irritate the bladder. They include: caffeine, citrus juices, and very spicy foods. Nicotine can also cause bladder spasms. Keeping your weight down. Being over-weight increases pressure on the abdomen, which can increase the incidence of a leaky bladder. Lose weight and the symptoms will decrease.Why let a leaky bladder limit your life? Dont hesitate to speak with your doctor about the available therapies. There are ways to stay dry.Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporters. Check for her daily updates. She is the author of Relationship Repair.See what others have to say about this story or leave a coment of your own.
