A study shows that close to 35 percent of healthy, active women ages 17 to 68 suffer from loss of bladder control on a regular
basis. The figure rises to 50 percent among women 68 and older.
Most common among premenopausal women is “
stress” incontinence. It occurs when the pelvic floor muscles are too weak to keep the opening of the bladder closed during exertion, causing slight to sever leakage. Laughing, sneezing, and exercise are typical triggers. Pregnancy can weaken the pelvic floor, but many women who have never given birth also have this problem.
Somewhat less common is “urge” incontinence, which occurs when the need to urinate comes so suddenly that a person often cannot get to the toilet fast enough. Some women suffer from a combination of urge and stress incontinence. Either can be exacerbated by bladder infections and irritants such as caffeine and alcohol.
One of the biggest problems in controlling incontinence is the myth that it’s untreatable, says psychologist Kathryn Burgio, Ph.D., of the University Of Pittsburg School Of Medicine. In a study of women who leaked urine in at least once a month – some severely – Burgio found that only one in four sough help.
In addition, “many doctors dismiss incontinence as “insignificant.” For this reason and that of embarrassment, most women opt to hide their problem by wearing sanitary pads.
The good new is that in most cases incontinence can be treated usually without drug or surgery but by simply consulting urologists, gynecologists, and nurses who have experience with the condition.
Women with mild incontinence can take corrective steps on their own, such as doing pelvic floor exercises. Your doctor or nurse can teach them to you. More severe cases can often be manage or cures with bio-feedback training and other behavioral methods that allow one to regain control of the bladder. Additional treatments include electrical stimulation of muscles around the urethra and hormone replacement. Surgery may be appropriate in some extreme cases.