What is incontinence? Doctor's advice on treatment, products and THOSE pads

We've spoken to a doctor about what incontinence really is and asked all the questions

IT can be an embarrassing topic to discuss but thousands of people in the UK suffer from it.

 

IT can be an embarrassing topic to discuss but millions of people in the UK suffer from it. 

Incontinence - it's not a subject you're likely to talk to your friends about over a pint in the pub or even at a coffee morning. Yet thousands of people in the UK suffer from the issue and are keen to understand more about the condition.

NewsNewsBlog.blogpot.com spoke to Dr Naomi Potter, GP and women’s health expert, to clear up the myths and mysteries behind incontinence and, hopefully, start talking about the issue more openly. 

If you want to know what incontinence really is, who is most likely to suffer with it and if you can catch it - you're in the right place. 

 

Incontinence can be an embarrassing subject to tackle for sufferers

 

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help to keep your bladder

 

Urinary incontinence is a common problem, affecting women more commonly

 

What is incontinence? The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help to keep your bladder, vagina, uterus and bowel in place, they also help you control bladder and bowel movements. Like any other muscle in the body, if you don’t exercise the pelvic floor, it can lose tone and strength causing symptoms of urinary incontinence. 

• The most common type is Stress Incontinence, when pelvic floor muscles are weakened so pressure on the bladder results in leakage, for example when you cough, laugh sneeze, stretching, exercise and even sex… 
• Urge Incontinence is a sudden, uncontrollable urge to visit the toilet, often with little warning; this can happen a number of times a day and even at night. 
• Finally Mixed Incontinence is a combination of both of these. Urinary incontinence can affect women at any age, but the most common causes are pregnancy, childbirth, the ageing process and being overweight. Hormonal and physical changes, additional pressure on bladder, and the effects of the childbirth process can mean that the pelvic floor muscles becomes less effective, and therefore less able to control the passing of urine from the bladder.

Does it affect both men and women?Yes, urinary incontinence is a common problem, affecting women more commonly than men.

How can you prevent it?
Although it is not always possible to prevent, a healthy lifestyle may reduce your chances of developing urinary incontinence.

• Healthy weight: If you are overweight, this can contribute to yourself developing the condition. To help prevent your chances and lower your risk, by maintaining a healthy weight through healthy eating and regular exercise can increase your chances. 
• Drinking habits: Dependent on the particular issues you suffer with urinary incontinence, the amount of fluids that you intake can contribute to the condition. If you find yourself having to urinate frequently during the night, known as nocturia, try minimising your fluid intake in the hours running up to bedtime, however make sure you are still drinking enough fluids during the day and keeping your body hydrated. Your GP can advise you on the amount of recommended fluids that you should drink. 
• Pelvic floor exercises: The primary advice offered to women suffering from urinary incontinence is to carry out pelvic floor exercises; this involves squeezing and contracting these muscles to build strength which helps restore your bladder control. However, if these exercises are not performed correctly, or often enough, they will make very little difference which can be incredibly frustrating. In fact, some women are unable to voluntarily contract their pelvic floor, for example due to nerve damage following childbirth

Our bodies go through such huge changes during pregnancy and birth, it’s no surprise they may not always work perfectly

Annie O’Leary, Editor-in-chief Netmums

Is there any treatment for it? 

There are a range of treatments available that can assist women in strengthening their pelvic floor muscles. Advancements in medical technology mean real solutions for women, for example there are non-invasive, clinical devices that can be worn externally and use specialised technology to help contract and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, treating the very root of the issue. 

The difference these can make is remarkable. Not only that, using this type of device can also help women to regain the sensation of what a pelvic floor contraction actually feels like, so they can really kick start the recovery process.

Clinically proven, Femifree is completely safe and easy to use in the comfort of your own home. With Femifree, women will no longer have to ‘put up with’ the negative effects of urinary incontinence. Now they can have the freedom to wear what they like, and the confidence to laugh out loud.

How can birth affect it?
With 750,000 births per year in the UK, urinary incontinence is affecting nearly half (48 per cent) of British women after giving birth. Yet nearly three-quarters of these women confessed they are suffering in silence, never seeking help from a health professional.

When pregnant, the tissues and muscles, more commonly known as your pelvic floor, support your uterus, bladder and bowel and can become stretchier; this is due to your pregnancy hormones and the weight of your growing baby. You will find you will need to urinate frequently during the day and night, experiencing a strong sense of urgency when you need to go, in some cases you might even wet yourself, but commonly this does stop once you have given birth.

When giving birth, your pelvic floor muscles are stretched even more, which contributes to weakening them further. New mothers suffering from a weak pelvic floor will find it harder to squeeze the muscles and sphincters at the bottom of your bladder, resulting that you may have trouble controlling your wee. A commonly known ‘weakness moment’ is when new mothers lift their new-born, the amount of urine lost can vary from a few drops, to enough to wet through your clothes.

Annie O’Leary, Editor-in-chief, Netmums said: "This can be an embarrassing subject for new mums – but our bodies go through such huge changes during pregnancy and birth, it’s no surprise they may not always work perfectly afterwards. However, there’s no need to suffer in silence, as with some gentle treatments, it can be easily fixed."

 

How many people does it affect? What are the psychological affects? Urinary Incontinence affects one in three women* of all ages, not just those who are older as is commonly thought.  

Imagine avoiding social events, group exercise classes or even enjoying a good laugh with your friends because you are worried about leaks.  Sadly this is the reality for too many women, yet because it remains a taboo subject they are embarrassed to seek help.  

When you consider contraception was also once a taboo subject it puts things into perspective. This isn’t a condition you just have to live with; there are a range of treatment options available which are easy to use and clinically proven to help women strengthen their pelvic floor muscles, helping them to regain control of their bladder and of their confidence. 

For many women, stress incontinence can have a significant impact of their sex lives, usually due to anxiety over potential leakages during an intimate moment. However, it’s perfectly possible to enjoy a health sex life: try to speak to your partner so they understand what you’re going through, reduce fluid intake and visit the toilet just before you have sex, you could also try different positions that put less pressure on your bladder.

Can you catch it? No, you cannot catch urinary incontinence.

 

Are there products you can use to avoid embarrassing situations? Traditionally, the most common product used to help avoid embarrassing situations is incontinence pads that are worn inside underwear acting as a guard, having a ‘hydrophobic’ layer which draws urine away from the surface of the pad, ensuring your skin stays dry.

There are many choices of absorbent pads for both men and women for all types of incontinence, as a temporary measure they can act as a safety net and improve your quality of life, saving you from being either housebound or multiple trips to the bathroom. But they only manage the problem, they won’t help to solve the issue itself.

Are there surgical solutions?  There are surgical procedures out there that can help aid urinary incontinence; however there are many products and devices that are less invasive and lower in cost that can treat the condition. 

Before making a decision, it is important to discuss the risks and benefits with a specialist, as well as possible alternatives treatments that you might not be aware of. Research from Femifree reveals that 41 per cent of sufferers are completely unaware that treatments are available.