Womens Incontinence Guide

Last year, a study revealed that a deficiency in Vitamin D can greatly increase the risks of pelvic floor disorders like incontinence.

The Study
1,881 non-pregnant women over the age of 20 participated in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2006), which demonstrated over 82% of these women were considered deficient in Vitamin D. 23% of these women reported pelvic floor disorders like incontinence and, on average, these women were shown to have significantly lower levels of Vitamin D.

Respectively, with older women, a normal level of Vitamin D had a lower risk of pelvic floor disorders and incontinence. The risk of incontinence of women with normal Vitamin D levels was 45% less those who were deficient.

A little about Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin in the body, unique in that it is synthesized in the body when exposed to sunlight. It can also be obtained through certain dairy products and fish. Vitamin D is a pro-hormone that is needed for skeletal and muscle strength.

Having proper vitamins and minerals in a diet can assist with a wide number of health issues, even incontinence, as this survey and its facts seem to prove. It may seem minor, almost insignificant, when there are so many reasons that incontinence can develop. But, in the interests of healthy living and controlling incontinence, ensuring you have enough Vitamin D is another aspect of your personal health to look after.

Sources:
Webmd
PubMed

A recent survey of 2000 women, their lifestyles, and their bladder control between ages of 18 and 79 found that those that smoked had three times the likelihood of needing to urinary (measured with fewer than 2 hours between trips to the bathroom) and to report “urgency” (the need to un to the bathroom as soon as possible).

While no direct link was found, and it doesn’t prove that smoking causes it, nicotine can have nasty effects on the bladder:

“There are reasons that smoking could directly affect those symptoms, according to Tikkinen. Based on animal research, nicotine may trigger excessive bladder muscle contractions. And over time, smoking may damage nerve function in the bladder.”

So while it’s quite possible nicotine can increase these bladder symptoms, there is no proof that smoking alone can cause incontinence.

Clinical trials have yet to be done to test the validity of bladder control and not smoking – but for the smokers out there, it’s another reason to consider kicking the habit.

From the article on MSNBC: “Well-known risks, such as lung cancer and heart disease, can seem like distant threats to young people, he pointed out. “But bladder symptoms, you can get when you’re young.”

…and while we’re at it, here are 5 reasons to quit.

Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44460612/ns/health/#.Tm4T8IKWFGl
http://bit.ly/nTyvNV

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) is probably most well-known for its use in cosmetic treatments for wrinkles, but its unique qualities of blocking nerves have assisted patients with other neurological conditions like chronic migraines, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries. And now, with FDA approval, Botox can now be used to treat neurological bladder conditions that lead to urinary incontinence in many individuals.

Botox works in the bladder by relaxing the muscles, thus increasing its capacity and reducing episodes of urinary incontinence. It is injected into the bladder and is effective for an estimated nine months.

In clinical trials with over 691 patients with urinary incontinence due to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, all patients who received the Botox treatment found improvements in their incontinence, with significantly fewer episodes than those who with the placebo.

The possible side effects are relatively the same for someone who uses a urinary catheter on a daily basis: potentially a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) could develop, and in some patients their urinary retention may require the use of a urinary catheter.

References:

• WebMD
• Bloomberg News
• Medical News Today

55-year old Kris Jenner, television personality and manager for her family (the Kardashians) recently exposed her light bladder leakage on the show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. She then landed a deal with Poise Pads, joining Whoopi Goldberg to raise awareness of bladder leakage experienced by one in three women. Kris now embraces her stress incontinence, posing as Rosie the Riveter and discussing the issue on the Poise website.

Rosie the Riveter is a famous World War II icon representing and motivating the women who worked in the factories producing war supplies, replacing the jobs of servicemen who had either joined or were drafted into military service. Rosie the Riveter became a social movement for the war effort, feminism, and women working in predominately male trades in the 1940′s. Today, Rosie the Riveter still stands as a symbol of the can-do, unapologetic work ethic of American women.

The famous image of Rosie the Riveter, produced by J. Howard Miller in the 1940′s, resurfaced in the 1980′s and became the renewed cultural image of a “Rosie”.

Rosie the Riveter is the latest addition to the Poise campaigns, which highlight an iconic female character (Mona Lisa, Lady Liberty, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc) discussing light bladder leakage as a common occurrence for millions of women.

Incontinence supply is a growing business. Estimates from 2008 show that there are over 516.9 elderly worldwide (over the age of 65). There are over 40 million elderly in the United States alone – about 12.8% of the population. The incontinence product market has grown to a hefty $3 billion dollars as aging individuals cope with the issue of incontinence. Including healthcare, diagnostic testing, and medication, the costs are upwards in the $30 billion dollar range.

Incontinence will be a growing environmental concern, and those throwing away diapers every day know this well. Here’s why: current statistics show that roughly 53% of the elderly have some form and frequency of Urinary Incontinence. It is the second leading reason why the Elderly are placed into homes and hospitals for assisted care. And, incontiennce does not just affect the elderly; 15 million adult women experience some form of urinary incontinence.

That considered, here are some staggering statistics: At 2008 estimates, 53% of the 40 million U.S. elderly population is 21,200,000 people. If each of these incontinent individuals requires just 1 adult diaper per week, that amounts to roughly 1.14 billion diapers in our landfills. One adult diaper per day? 7.73 bllion diapers. And with some individuals needing 30-40 pads or diapers a day, these numbers become jaw-dropping astronomical.

The Human Factor

Human waste is organic; the Earth digests it quickly and efficiently along with all other organic material. When continent individuals void, it creates minimal waste (except maybe a toilet flush, in which the water is treated and recycled.) But incontinence management requires the use of synthetic supplies like diapers, pads, etc. to respond to nature’s calling while maintaining ease and comfort. But most “environmental” solutions will lessen the dignity and comfort of the individual.

The simple fact is that incontinence individuals need better, more innovative solutions to manage and treat urinary incontinence. Inaction on this is not an option, nor is neglect.

So until better solutions are available, what can a single person do to make an impact and lessen the waste and maintain the maximum dignity and comfort?

The key to “environmental friendliness” with incontinence supplies is to minimize waste. With that goal in mind, there are several options available to the environmentally conscious individual.

Tips to Waste Less while Maintaining Comfort:

Get Properly Diagnosed and Explore All Treatment Option
There are many types of incontinence, and no form of incontinence is “normal” by any means. Understanding your incontinence and treatment options is the first step to improving your urinary function. Doctors can often recommend exercises and lifestyle/diet changes that will help you. In some cases, these changes may relieve your incontinence altogether and completely negate the need for incontinence supplies. Incontinence could also be a symptom of another underlying problem that would require medication or surgery.

Optimize the Right Amount of Protection
Incontinence episodes come in many levels of risk and frequencies. Many women may only experience a light form of urge incontinence that only affects them occasionally when they sneeze, laugh, walk; in these cases, a simple incontinence pad may be sufficient. In contrast, someone with nerve damage may have frequent, uncontrollable incontinence every day. Optimizing the perfect level of protection along with comfort and expense is the ultimate goal; and thankfully, while there are not “environmentally friendly” options, there are many options available so you can find the ones that have the least impact.

Consider Stronger Options for Frequent Incontinence
For those who have frequent incontinence, consider a “heavy duty” option designed to retain higher amounts of fluid. Many of the best performing products will wick away moisture and leave you and the inner surface of the pad dry enough to continuing wearing through multiple episodes. This ultimately means less waste at the end of the day, and often less expenses, too.

Try Re-Usable Products
For those who experience light to moderate levels of incontinence, or maintain some level of control but wear a pad for “emergencies”, consider reusable underwear and panties designed to hold a small amount of urine and keep you comfortable. Typically, re-usables benefit the female anatomy the most, and need to be changed more frequently to avoid skin rashes and breakdown. To prevent leaking, a waterproof nylon or vinyl panty worn over the diaper can help. Re-usables tend to cost more up front than simply buying a pack of disposables, but for someone who has experienced incontinence over a long period of time, there is often cost-savings in the long term.

There are some innovations in Urology that will hopefully solve the issues of incontinence. While full functioning bladder control or fully “green” solutions that match the ease and comfort of existing products may not always be possible, minimizing the waste of managing incontinence through better treatment and intelligent management will ultimately make the planet a better place for ourselves and the future generations.

Medical manufacturer Coloplast, known for its urological and ostomy products, has recently acquired Mpathy Medical, a woman’s health company providing solutions for women’s stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Mpathy manufactures the lightest mesh technologies for prolapse restoration for women; this acquisition will help increase the presence, research, innovation, and patient options to better care in the field of female urology.

With over 15 million women experiencing regular stress urinary incontinence, which usually happens due to weak or prolapsed pelvic muscles and can cause loss of bladder control when laughing, sneezing, or coughing. Typically, most light episodes are managed with the use of incontinence pads and more serious complications are managed with incontinence underwear and bed sheets. While these symptoms are common, they’re not normal. Often, Kegel Exercises are recommended to strengthen the pelvic muscles but in extreme cases, surgery will alleviate the problems.

Coloplast continues to expand their presence in the United States in the Urology field, and their investments in women’s incontinence solutions only further demonstrates the growing market, and thus, the needs of women everywhere for better solutions to incontinence.

The first-ever fashionable panty designed with light incontinence in mind has hit the market this fall.

Known as STRIDE Everyday, the underwear styles range from Seamless to Thongs to French Cut and Lace; and each design contains a washable absorbent pad designed to wick away wetness of light leaks caused by stress incontinence.

For active women with light leaking, this fashionable lingerie absorbs up to one ounce of moisture.  The interior pad wicks away moisture to keep the panty deodorized and dry.  They are also machine washable, making them easy to clean.

A washable padded panty designed for these leaks not only provides comfort and fashion, but it also saves money and waste caused from disposable liners.  From Wendy Spencer, the founder of STRIDE Everyday:

“All women experience some sort of light leak in their lifetime,” explains Spencer.

“Whether it’s a new mom looking for a cost-effective solution that helps her feel like a woman again, or an avid runner looking for comfortable protection while she’s on the treadmill, STRIDE Everyday offers a range of solutions for all kinds of women.   They can also help reduce the billions of disposable pads and pantiliners sent to landfill every year”.

And this is a key point to the usefulness of such a panty; incontinence pads can be expensive for those with daily incontinence; and with over 50% of females in the United States experiencing some form of incontinence in their lifetime, the most sustainable, cost-savings, and convenient solutions are absolutely the most desirable solutions.

New research presented on Friday, October 1st aims to dispel the conflicting views about caffeine and female urinary incontinence. The findings are specific to women who consume 329 milligrams of caffeine or more per day (the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee) are 70% more likely to experience urinary incontinence.

The study, which evaluated over 1,356 women from ages 20 to 85 discovered that those with high caffeine intakes (3 cups of coffee or more) were far more likely to have incontinence issues after the age of 40.

Strangely, the study did not present connections with incontinence and BMI, vaginal childbirth or high intake of water, although obesity and childbirth have had their own studies to find these connections that bring a higher likelihood of experiencing incontinence.

Caffeine is a diuretic, which increases the amount of urine you make, and also causes contractions in the muscles responsible for bladder function. These two combined traits of caffeine are the causes of the increased incontinence episodes.

This research, however, is not entirely unique; Lilly Arya, MD, published a similar study a decade ago about caffeine and incontinence in women. It is also common advice given by doctors frequently for their patients who report incontinence issues, as caffeine’s diuretic qualities are well-known.

With the level of coffee consumption throughout the world, and especially the U.S., these findings are a wake-up call; coffee cups grow in size in the market and a 12 Oz. coffee is the relative “standard” among gas stations and coffee shops. Researchers believe 5oz. is the “standard”, so a high consumption level could easily be the “medium” sized coffee you’re purchasing from Starbucks could be causing your over-active bladder!

More: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/news/20100930/caffeine-and-bladder-problems-linked

Childbirth is a major factor in female incontinence later in life. In fact, as many as 50 percent of all women experience some form of incontinence during their life. One vaginal birth delivery quadrules the likelihood of incontinence. Two births increases the likelihood 8-fold.

Research in Australia shows that having an epidural during labor lowers the risk of damage to the internal organs.

The study went something like this: 400 childbirths between 2005 and 2008 were monitored. 2/3rds of women who gave vaginal births were included in the study, those with a Cesarean section were excluded.

Out of the women who delivered vaginally, 13 percent suffered muscle damage. Using forceps during birth increased the risk of muscle injury to 30 percent.

It was discovered that the women who chose an epidural during labor not only had less pain and smoother deliveries, but also had far less long-term effects of reducing prolapse and muscle damages that can case incontinence.

Why would this be? Well, researchers aren’t entirely sure, but it’s theorized that the epidurals decrease damage from women who are pushing too early or too hard. Epidurals temporarily paralyze muscles, decreased the likelihood of injury.

Source: The Med Guru

The research and findings can be found in the International obstetrics journal BJOG.

Visit STLMedical.com if you or a family member is in urgent need of incontinence supplies.