Coping with Bladder Problems.
If you sometimes have leakage of urine or bowel accidents, you are not alone. Incontinence is a problems shared by millions of adults. For some people small amounts of urine or fecal matter leak out before they can get to the bathroom. For many the loss of bladder or bowel control can range from moderate to severe. Most people think incontinence is a geriatric problem. The notion that incontinence is a condition that afflicts primarily the elderly is a misconception about as widespread as the mistaken belief that the only way to deal with this problem is to wear adult diapers, or pads. Today there are many new ways to treat this incontinence, including taking medicines, exercise, diet modification, surgery or a combination of these methods. Many cases of incontinence can be completely cured. With new therapies many cases previously considered untreatable can often see significant improvement.
There are many reasons for adult incontinence. Sometimes it's caused by an illness, and when the illness goes away, so does the incontinence. For example, bladder infections and, if you are a woman, vaginal infections can cause incontinence for a short while. Being unable to have a bowel movement, taking certain medicines and even excess weight may make it hard to control your bladder or bowel.
Many people do not speak to their doctors out of embarrassment, or the mistaken belief that incontinence is a normal part of aging that nothing can be done about it. Bladder or bowel leakage is not normal at any age. In fact it is often a warning sign of other medical conditions that if ignored can have serious medical consequences. . While Incontinence is common among the elderly, it can be stopped or decreased in almost everyone even the very old and frail.
There are many ways to treat incontinence, from exercises to surgery. Ask your doctor what is best for you. In our Hot Trends section we will be highlighting stories and articles with breaking news about new trends in incontinence research and treatment.
Here in the articles section we will focus incontinence management and many of the lifestyle issues incontinence can affect. Future planned articles include:
