Have you ever leaked out urine when coughing or sneezing?
Do you need to wear pads to avoid being embarrassed with leaking when you exercise?
Have you ever felt that you can’t hold your pee and often find yourself rushing to go to the toilet?
If you answered yes to any of the questions, you are not alone! Over 5 million Australians are affected by incontinence (leaking urine). Unfortunately, 80% of those with urinary incontinence are women. It can affect any background and any age group, and unfortunately continues to grow in prevalence as can be seen below: (https://www.continence.org.au/pages/the-facts.html)
It can be embarrassing, stop you from exercising or meeting up with your friends. It may be hard to speak up about such a private issue, and can in turn be painstakingly isolating. You may not know it, but it can also be linked to your lower back or pelvic issue.
However, if it is something that bothers you, rest assured, it can be treated! Please don’t be the 70% of the Australian population that don’t seek out help!
Treatment can involve bladder behaviour re-training, pelvic floor strengthening, kegal exercises (switching on your pelvic floor in periods of higher stress for the body e.g. coughing/sneezing), prolapse management and life style changes.
No more pads, embarrassment of having accidental leaks, and less anxiety about where the closest toilet is!
A health professional who specialises in Women's and/or Men's health, will identify what type of incontinence you have (as there are a few – urgency related, overactive bladder, stress urinary incontinence or perhaps related to your prolapse). They will also be able to identify what the true cause of your incontinence is, and tailor your treatment and management accordingly.
In the next few blog posts, we’ll be exploring the varying types of incontinence and what is involved in the appropriate management. Please understand that this does not replace seeking out personalized advice from a health professional and if you have any issues, please do not hesitate in contacting me directly.