More than 13 million people in the United States, male and female, young and old, experience urinary incontinence. Women experience incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference.
Catherine Bradley, MD, gynecologist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence:
How prevalent is incontinence in women as they age?
Urinary incontinence, or leakage, is a very common problem. If you ask women of all ages, about 25 percent (or one in four) of them would report some type of urine leakage symptoms, and this increases with age. So when you get up to the elderly women, almost 50 percent of them have a bladder control problem.
Is incontinence directly linked to how much or what beverages a woman drinks throughout the day?
I think that urine leakage could be worsened by drinking too much fluid, or drinking certain beverages. We think coffee with caffeine or carbonated beverages might irritate the bladder and make some bladder control problems worse. I don't think the beverages themselves cause a bladder control problem.
How do you diagnose incontinence in a woman?
Diagnosis is important because there are different types of urinary leakage and other bladder problems. They may be treated differently, depending on what the actual underlying problem is. We do a normal evaluation during a clinic visit, which includes:
- Talking to a woman about her history
- A physical examination
- Checking a sample of urine to make sure there's not sign of infection or another problem with the urine
- Making sure the woman is emptying her bladder properly
That can all be done with a clinic visit and then we can almost always start some type of treatment.
Women may start using some sort of protection to prevent an accident. Is that the only treatment women have for incontinence?
Certainly not! Absorbent pads are very helpful to women and some women, start using them in lieu of other treatments. There are a lot of treatments available, and again, they depend on what the underlying problem is. We have very simple things like:
- Dietary changes
- Weight loss
- Behavioral therapies
- Medications
For women who have more severe symptoms or who have tried other treatments that haven't worked, we sometimes have surgery for urine leakage.
Tell us a little about the free seminar about women's bladder health. When, where, what time?
The Woman's Bladder Health seminar is a Health For Your Lifetime seminar, on Tuesday, March 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the University of Iowa Women's Health Center in the Pomerantz Family Pavilion. This is also where we see patients, so it's a chance for people to see where we are located.
Who will be the presenters?
The presenters will be me and my partner, Ali Luck, MD. We will talk about some of the common bladder problems and symptoms, including urinary leakage and urinary incontinence, that occur with women of all ages.
We'll also discuss:
- Bladder infections
- Urinary symptoms like frequency and urgency problems
- Painful bladder symptoms,
- Common problems in women who have bladder leakage
We'll talk about what problems are out there, how common they are, what are some of the things that can be done to prevent some of these problems, and then, what are the treatments.
Do people need to register in advance for this free seminar?
Registration is encouraged but it's not required. You can register in advance by calling 384-1743 or 877-633-4692.
Who are you encouraging to come to listen to the presentation on women's bladder health and treatment?
I think it's going to be a nice opportunity to get the word out that these symptoms are common and that there are treatments available.
We find that women are sometimes embarrassed about reporting these symptoms or problems to their regular physicians or health care providers. Some may think that bladder control problems are just a normal part of aging, but we don't think that's always the case. There are often simple things that can be done to alleviate some of these symptoms, so this is kind of a nice opportunity to learn a little bit more if a woman has these symptoms or maybe a friend or family member and they just want a little bit more information about whether they should seek treatment.
You sound like the seminar will go beyond just incontinence and deal with a woman's overall health and how one thing may affect another.
We know that bladder control issues--while they may not be life-threatening like some other medical problems--can certainly affect quality of life. Sometimes these problems will prevent a woman, either from embarrassment or fear for accidents, from doing activities that she likes. We know that women who have bladder control problems are more likely, to have depression and anxiety. We think that these are important symptoms to address and we'd just like to get a little more information out about that. |
