Silent agony of the women too scared to cough
Not alone: One in three women in Ireland suffer from urinary incontinence
Tuesday August 19 2008
SNEEZING and coughing, taking exercise and long journeys are a nightmare for many women and men who suffer from urinary incontinence -- the unintentional passing of urine that affects around one in three Irish women.
Many women suffer in silence. But it is is not exclusively a female problem -- doctors say women are just braver than men when it comes to seeking treatment.
Many people think that it is an inevitable part of ageing, but there are several forms of treatment, including exercises, medicines and electrical therapy, that can help ease the symptoms.
Pelvic-floor muscles can be weakened by a number of different factors:
- For women, pregnancy and childbirth.
- Menopause -- a lack of the hormone, oestrogen, can weaken your muscles.
- A hysterectomy (removal of the womb).
- Age -- as you get older, your muscles naturally become weaker.
- Obesity -- being obese can put excess stress on your muscles.
Other causes include cystitis (inflammation of the bladder lining), conditions like Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and stroke and an enlarged prostate gland in men can irritate the urethra (urinary opening) and lower bladder.
Various treatments are available, which depend on the type of incontinence you have and the severity of it. Your GP may recommend lifestyle changes such as:
- Cutting out caffeine.
- Changing drink habits -- reducing it if it is too much, increasing it if it is too little.
- Losing weight.
- Pelvic-floor exercises from a qualified physiotherapist, doing a minimum of eight muscle contractions, at least three times a day.
If lifestyle changes and exercise is not enough, surgery may be recommended.
Bladder-neck injections are also an option where collagen, or another synthetic material, is injected into the wall of the urethra in order to strengthen it and stop urine leaking out.
To control the flow of urine from your bladder into your urethra, an artificial sphincter or valve can be inserted.
However, this procedure is usually only recommended if other treatment methods have failed: side effects can be serious.
There is also medication available for sufferers. Duloxetine is a possible alternative to surgery.
If you have to urinate frequently during the night (nocturia), Desmopressin may be recommended.
- Eilish O'Regan
