An Extremely Common Condition
Sorry to report this, but postpartum urinary incontinence is quite common. According to the latest research, women who give birth vaginally are more likely to experience these complications afterward. In some cases, issues of urinary incontinence can last up to a year, and smaller percentages of women are still living symptoms after 5 years.
Contributing factors include the fact that the bladder and pelvis muscles are weakened during childbirth. In addition, the uterus will begin to shrink back to its normal size, which causes repeated compressions on the bladder. Rapid changes in hormones also need to be considered as the body attempts to balance its female sex hormones after a child is born. Women over the age of 35 and those who are obese are also at a greater risk for urinary incontinence following childbirth.
All together, these influential factors lead women to face a much higher risk for urinary incontinence. The good news is that most women can recover with the proper precautions and effective treatment options recommended by Dedicated to Women.
What Can I Do To Help My Dog At Home
In addition to seeking medical treatment from your veterinarian, there are many steps you can take to manage your dogs symptoms, and accidents at home. By making a few lifestyle and environmental changes, you will be helping to keep your dog healthy, happy and supported. These steps include the following:
- Most importantly, never scold or punish your dog for having an accident. They cannot control the leaking and are not urinating intentionally.
- Try to increase the amount of time your dog spends outdoors by allowing them free access to a backyard or dog park, or by increasing the number of times they are walked during the day. Before going to bed, take your dog outside one last time so he can empty his bladder.
- Purchase dog beds, blankets, and furniture covers that can easily and regularly be washed, or replaced. Maintain clean bedding and change daily, or as needed.
- Use leak proof pads under bedding and on furniture to protect surfaces and make clean up easier.
- Use disposable diapers and male wraps to absorb and contain any urine leakage.
- Gently wash the areas of skin that routinely become urine soaked by using a mild dog shampoo, and towel dry. By keeping these areas clean and dry you will help prevent urine scald and breakdown of the skin barrier which can lead to infection
Thread The Needle: 1 X 15 Reps
Again, more mobility for your thoracic spine but this time by adding in rotation movements. This exercise will feel great in your upper back to reduce joint stiffness. If you have a foam roller this can be helpful to get more range of movement. Push down on it with the back of the forearm during the rotation movement.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Bladder Control Problems
Signs and symptoms of urinary incontinence can include
- leaking urine during everyday activities, such as lifting, bending, coughing, or exercising
- being unable to hold in urine after feeling a sudden, strong urge to urinate
- leaking urine without any warning or urge
- being unable to reach a toilet in time
- wetting your bed during sleep
- leaking during sexual activity
What Is Urinary Incontinence Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention
Urinary incontinence , the involuntary loss of urine, is a very common condition that no one wants to talk about. Because of the stigma that surrounds it, many people are too humiliated to seek help. But most conditions that cause UI can be corrected with medical or alternative interventions.
Occurring much more often in women than men, UI happens when the muscles in the bladder that control the flow of urine contract or relax involuntarily, resulting in leaks or uncontrolled urination. UI itself is not a disease, but it can be a symptom of an underlying medical issue.
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How Common Is Urinary Incontinence
World-wide, as many as 200 million women are believed to experience significant urinary incontinence, and the number is much higher when slight damping or occasional accidents are taken into account. Most surveys show that between 20% and 45% of women experience significant urinary leakage at least twice a month. The number affected increases with age, and among women over 60, more than one in three report daily urinary leakage.
The number of men who experience urinary incontinence is approximately half that in women. Urinary leakage affects at least 1 in 10 men overall, rising to as many as one in three older men, of whom 2% to 11% reporting daily urinary incontinence.
Despite the size of the problem, over a third of people who experience urinary leakage have not seen their GP through embarrassment or a mistaken belief that nothing can be done. On average, women wait an average of 6.5 years from the first time they experience symptoms until they seek help and are diagnosed with a bladder control problem. Yet, around 70% of bladder control problems can be cured, and most other situations are dramatically improved by medical advice and treatment.
If you are experiencing bladder leakage, do see your doctor to find out the best treatment options for you.
What Are Pelvic Floor Exercises And Can Improve Erection Quality
As we age, we lose muscle tone throughout your body. That includes the muscles that men need to maintain erections. However, there are physical exercises men can do to reduce erectile dysfunction. The best ones are known as pelvic floor exercises or kegels.
Those muscles are the core of how your body maintains blood flow to the penis and therefore keeps erections strong.
They put pressure on the veins in your penis, preventing blood from flowing back into the rest of your body. If they arent strong enough then even if you can get an erection, you wont be able to keep it.
The process starts with identifying the muscles you need to activate. Thats best achieved by lying down with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Thats when you breathe out and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles for 3 seconds.
Its important that you identify the right group, at the base of your buttocks, on either side of your perineum. It can be easy to mistake other muscles, such as the legs or stomach for the pelvic floor.
Once you are confident you have the right muscle group, then doing the exercises in a seated or standing position three times a day can firm and strengthen the muscles, with a likely improvement within four to six weeks.
Some men find that after the initial strengthening that options like Pilates become appealing as not only are there many exercises which improve the pelvic floor, but they can improve overall posture and strength.
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Managing Bladder Or Urinary Incontinence
Sometimes urinary incontinence can last a short time, depending on what’s causing it. But sometimes incontinence can be long-term and uncomfortable, making some everyday activities difficult to manage.
Your health care team will ask you questions to determine the type of bladder incontinence you might have. Then, you might need tests to verify the type and learn the cause of it which will help them know the best way to manage it.
- Pelvic floor muscle strengthening may be recommended. A physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor muscle exercises can help. This might help muscle strength and bladder control get better by doing exercises that tighten and relax muscles that control the flow of urine.
- Bladder training canhelp manage how often you need to urinate throughout the day, by assigning certain time intervals to empty your bladder.
Causes Of Total Incontinence
Total incontinence occurs when your bladder cannot store any urine at all. It can result in you either passing large amounts of urine constantly, or passing urine occasionally with frequent leaking.
Total incontinence can be caused by:
- a problem with your bladder from birth
- injury to your spinal cord, which can disrupt the nerve signals between your brain and your bladder
- a bladder fistula, which is a small tunnel-like hole that can form between the bladder and a nearby area, such as the vagina, in women
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What Your Treatment Will Involve
Your healthcare providers recommended treatment plan will depend on the cause of your incontinence. An underlying medical condition may require medication, surgery, or other treatments.
You may also be encouraged to do certain exercises, such as pelvic floor exercises or bladder training, which can help to increase your bladder control.
In certain situations, your healthcare provider may not be able to cure your bladder incontinence. In these cases, there are steps you can take to manage your condition.
For example, your healthcare provider may advise you to:
- adjust your diet or fluid intake
- maintain a clear and well-lit path to the bathroom
What To Expect At Your Healthcare Providers Appointment
During your appointment, your healthcare provider will likely ask questions about your symptoms. Theyll probably want to know how long youve been incontinent, which types of incontinence youve experienced, and other details.
They may also ask about your daily habits, including your typical diet and any medications or supplements that you take.
Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your healthcare provider may order additional tests, including:
- Collecting a sample of urine for analysis. Laboratory staff can check the urine sample for signs of infection or other problems.
- Measuring the amount of urine that you release when urinating, the amount left over in your bladder, and the pressure in your bladder. This information is gathered by inserting a catheter, or a small tube, into your urethra and your bladder.
- Conducting a cystoscopy. During this test, theyll insert a small camera into your bladder to examine it up close.
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Step 3 How To Fit Pelvic Floor Exercises Into Your Day
Unlike any other form of exercise this really is easy to fit in. Thats because you can do them any time anywhere, you dont need a class, gym, personal trainer you just need you!
It doesnt matter then when you do your exercises you just have to do them ideally 3 times a day, and if your pelvic floor is weak, its important to spread these out throughout the day i.e. once in the morning, noon and night, so that your pelvic floor rests and recovers in-between.
Heres a schedule you can follow but remember its about fitting it into your life, not the other way around, so use this as a guide, then get your diary out and see where/when it can work best for you, and use an alarm on your phone or the INNOVO app to remind you.
7 A.M In the shower, while cleaning teeth, waiting for the kettle to boil
- Flick switch x 10
8.A.M On the train/bus, reading the morning paper/ a magazine
- Volume switch full power x 10
- Volume switch half power x 10
- 5 floor lift x 10
11 AM Standing at the photocopier, or waiting for coffee in coffee shop
- Flick switch or if you have longer also do
- Volume switch half power x 10
1 PM While having lunch
- Volume switch full power x 10
- Volume switch half power x 10
- 5 floor lift x 10
3 6PM Waiting at the school gate, waiting for a train/bus, on a train/bus, sat in a waiting room
- Flick switch x 10
Bladder Incontinence In Women
Bladder incontinence is more common in women than in men. Other than the possible causes listed above, some things that may increase risk of bladder incontinence in women are:
- Changes to urinary or vaginal tissue from hormone therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy
- Hormonal changes from menopause
- Pelvic prolapse – the bladder, uterus, and or rectum may slip backward or downward into the vaginal canal because of weak pelvic wall muscles
- Pregnancy
- Hysterectomy
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Take Control Of Urinary Incontinence With Incontrol Medicals Apexm
Sometimes it happens so gradually you just cant pinpoint when it started. Your stretch-mark-scarred belly from one pregnancies becomes flabbier, your hips expand and those favorite pants dont quite fit the way they used to. To top it all off, you find yourself leaking when you cough, sneeze or laugh too hard. Many women wont even talk about it. If you actually talk about it with your mother or even your friends, they will likely tell you its all part of getting older. But, in reality, it isnt.
What Is It?
Its called bladder leakage and falls under the definition of urinary incontinence. Experts estimate one- in- three women experience occasional or chronic symptoms and that pregnancy, childbirth and menopause are the major reasons for the increased prevalence of incontinence in women.
Types of Urinary Incontinence
Lets first take a quick look at the different types of urinary incontinence for women:Stress Incontinence is the most prevalent form of incontinence in women. It occurs when physical movement or activity such as coughing, sneezing, running or heavy lifting puts pressure on the bladder. This pressure is the cause of stress and results in bladder leakage.
Urge Incontinence occurs when the muscles of the bladder contract involuntarily, even when the volume of urine in your bladder is low. This involuntary contraction creates the urgent need to urinate. Although its not uncommon among older adults, it isnt a normal part of aging.
Manage Your Stress Levels
Psychological stress can cause urinary incontinence in your body. Practice stress relief tricks like yoga and meditation to manage your stress levels.
Incontinence can be an uncomfortable problem for many, but there are ways to prevent and control the problem.
Which lifestyle change helps you to control urinary incontinence?
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Electrical And Magnetic Stimulation
Electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles with a vaginal or anal electrode can be used in women who cannot voluntarily contract pelvic floor muscles.13 This can be done at home and typically consists of two 15-minute sessions daily for 12 weeks. Medicare has approved its use in patients who have incontinence that does not respond to structured pelvic floor muscle exercise programs.
Extracorporeal magnetic innervation involves a series of treatments in which the patient sits, fully clothed, on a chair that generates a low-power magnetic field. Patients typically undergo two or three treatments per week for six to eight weeks. One early study showed this method to be most effective for women who have mild stress incontinence .39 A more recent study found it to be more effective than sham treatment for women who are unable to generate adequate pelvic floor muscle contractions.40
Pelvic Muscle Training Devices
You can use these products when you do Kegel exercises, which help strengthen and control the muscles you clench when you try to hold in urine. Although you don’t need external devices to do Kegels, you may find they help enhance your workout.
There are different kinds of Kegel training devices. Some are aimed at men and women, including appliances you squeeze between your thighs. Vaginal weights, rods, and cones of various sizes are intended for women.
Its hard to tell at a glance which items might help you — or how some of them work. So do research and talk to your doctor before you buy any of them. Your doctor can help you narrow down the choices.
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Medications For Urinary Incontinence
If medications are used, this is usually in combination with other techniques or exercises.
The following medications are prescribed to treat urinary incontinence:
- Anticholinergics calm overactive bladders and may help patients with urge incontinence.
- Topical estrogen may reinforce tissue in the urethra and vaginal areas and lessen some of the symptoms.
- Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant.
Are There New Techniques That Minimize The Chance Of Becoming Incontinent
When removing the prostate, surgeons attempt to conserve as much of the area around the sphincter and the bladder muscles around the urethra as possible, hence curbing damage to the sphincter.
Surgeons have likewise fine-tuned the procedure of putting radioactive seed implants, utilizing advanced computer system forecasts that permit the seeds to damage the prostate while limiting damage to the bladder.
Still, at this point, any male who is going through radiation or surgical treatment to deal with prostate cancer needs to anticipate establishing some issues with urinary control.
Some men will have just temporary issues managing their urine, and lots will gain back complete control of their bladder in time.
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Living With Bowel Incontinence
You can help manage bowel incontinence by following a bowel care plan and using the toilet before you leave home. You can also make sure you carry your medications, supplies, fecal deodorants, and a change of clothes with you.
Anal discomfort, itching, and irritation can be common. Here are some ways to help manage these symptoms:
- Wash the anal area after a bowel movement or use baby wipes.
- Use a moisture-barrier cream in the anal area.
- Use wick pads or disposable underwear.
- Change soiled underwear frequently to keep the anal area clean and dry.
Causes Of Urinary Incontinence
Incontinence can happen for many reasons. For example, urinary tract infections, vaginal infection or irritation, constipation. Some medicines can cause bladder control problems that last a short time. When incontinence lasts longer, it may be due to:
- Weak bladder muscles
- Overactive bladder muscles
- Weak pelvic floor muscles
- Damage to nerves that control the bladder from diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or Parkinsons disease
- Blockage from an enlarged prostate in men
- Diseases such as arthritis that may make it difficult to get to the bathroom in time
- Pelvic organ prolapse, which is when pelvic organs shift out of their normal place into the vagina. When pelvic organs are out of place, the bladder and urethra are not able to work normally, which may cause urine to leak.
Most incontinence in men is related to the prostate gland. Male incontinence may be caused by:
- Prostatitisa painful inflammation of the prostate gland
- Injury, or damage to nerves or muscles from surgery
- An enlarged prostate gland, which can lead to Benign Prostate Hyperplasia , a condition where the prostate grows as men age.
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