No, in most cases, adult incontinence is not a normal part of aging. You do not have to continue to wear pads to soak up dribbles, wear dark clothing to conceal your leaks, or cross your legs every time you laugh or sneeze. Our bodies are designed not to be incontinent until the time we die, and many of our age-related [...] Read more »
Nighttime Urination
If you are getting up more than one time a night to urinate, you are probably not getting enough sleep. There are some things you can do about this. For one, severely limit your fluid intake after 6:00 p.m. This will cut down on the amount of urine your body produces during the night. If [...] Read more »
The Overactive Bladder
The overactive bladder is another term used for urge incontinence, which is discussed in another post on this blog. However, not all people with overactive bladder experience incontinence–they may simply need to empty their bladder more often than is typical. Some people with an overactive bladder may need to urinate frequently during the day or [...] Read more »
Bladder Spasms
Bladder spasms are certainly no walk in the park for the person who has them. To understand bladder spasms, you first should know that the bladder has a layer of muscle called the detrusor muscle. Some specialists refer to the bladder as the “detrusor.” A spasm itself is a sudden, involuntary squeezing of any muscle, [...] Read more »
Are Kegels Effective?
Many people have heard of Kegel exercises–to do them, you would “pull in” as if to stop the flow of urine and hold that contraction. Some articles recommend that you do several sets of these a day to strengthen your muscles so that you have a more satisfying sex life and address any issues you [...] Read more »
Vitamin D Levels and Urinary Incontinence
Higher vitamin D levels are linked to a lower risk for urinary incontinence, according to the results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. The study was comprised of 1,881 women older than 20 years. The results of the survey were published in the April 2010 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Vitamin D deficiency [...] Read more »
Incontinence Care and Hiding Leaks
Even if you take care to manage your incontinence, accidents may occur. Peggy Landini is a licensed occupational therapist who specializes in the treatment of adult incontinence. “The social impacts of incontinence are serious,” she noted. “Once a person has begun to experience leakage, she will worry about whether she will have a leak in [...] Read more »
Incontinence Care After A Leak
Accidents happen. It is just a part of life. If you leak some urine, wash the area of your skin gently as soon as you can. There are special cleansers available for incontinence–they are very gentle and allow you to clean frequently without irritation. It is also a good idea to put on a barrier [...] Read more »
Incontinence Limits Women’s Sports Activities
As reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a study found that incontinence may make many women reluctant to participate in sports. Researchers surveyed 679 Italian women between the ages of 14 and 51 who participated in non-competitive sports. Urinary incontinence was reported by just under 15% of the women. This rate is lower [...] Read more »
Topical Gel for Treatment of Overactive Bladder
The FDA approved the use of oxybutynin chloride 10% gel for the treatment of overactive bladder. Overactive bladder is usually experienced as a sudden, uncomfortable need to urinate with or without urine leakage. People who suffer from overactive bladder usually have to urinate frequently and wake up more than once a night to urinate. The [...] Read more »