New techniques and treatments are coming out all the time – it’s the innovative world we live in. Today, we are talking about a new therapy for urinary incontinence in senior citizens.

The elderly are at a much higher risk for urinary incontinence than any other population. Aging can affect incontinence for a variety of reasons, including:

·  Childbirth – for women, childbirth can injure pelvic floor muscles, and these injuries may not present themselves until later in life.

·  Prostate cancer – Men who have had prostate cancer treatment are at a higher risk for bladder incontinence.

·  General aging – over time, muscles weaken – this includes the pelvic floor muscles. Aging of the bladder can lead to a decrease in its capacity.

There is also a link between dementia and incontinence, and dementia mainly affects older people. In fact, there are over 5 million Americans with some form of dementia.  All of this means that the aging population is at the highest risk for bladder incontinence.

Rates of urinary incontinence are high in nursing homes, and this is usually managed with adult incontinence products. However, these products can lead to skin irritation, urinary tract infections (UTI), and they can affect the wearer mentally. It can be embarrassing to wear these products.

Professor Claudia Lai, of the School of Nursing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, studied the effectiveness of Prompted Voiding (PV) for 31 months. PV is a behavioral strategy for bladder incontinence. It is non-invasive, and it is simple.

PV is quickly becoming one of the most effective measures for managing bladder incontinence in the elderly, especially in nursing home or home-care settings. It can also help to reduce the need for incontinence products.

How does PV work?

PV is a behavioral strategy. It works by caregivers reminding the elderly patients to go to the restroom regularly. This helps reduce the number of leaks and accidents, and it helps the patient to increase their awareness of bladder control. PV is simple, and has been adopted in many nursing home environments.

According to a study, “limited evidence suggested that prompted voiding increased self-initiated voiding and decreased incontinent episodes in the short-term.” PV is often recommended for patients with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. These studies do note that the long-term effectiveness of PV is not fully known, but did show that PV helped in the short term.

Are you a caregiver for someone with bladder incontinence? You may want to try a version of PV wherein you suggest a trip to the restroom every 2 hours or less.

If you or a loved one are suffering from bladder incontinence, contact us. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

It’s the Winter Olympics! Skiing! Speed skating! If you’re like us, you are glued to the coverage in Sochi. Speed skating is an exciting sport, and Bonnie Blair is one of the most famous American Winter Olympians. In fact, she is the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history.

Blair won five gold medals – the only American woman to win five gold medals in the Winter Olympics. She skated in the 1988, 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics. Blair’s final Olympics were in 1994, where she captured her sixth medal and broke a record in the 1,000-meter race.

After retiring from speed skating, and after the birth of her first child, Blair was eager to get back into exercise. She wanted to continue to do the same vigorous activity before – but something was holding her back: stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Stress urinary incontinence is a form of bladder incontinence. Sufferers have urine leaks during sneezing, coughing, laughing, jumping, running or other physical activity. This condition can happen due to injury to the pelvic floor muscles during childbirth. The muscles can be weakened due to giving birth, and thus are not strong enough to hold in urine during activity.

Blair went for a jog after her first child was born, and she did not make it more than a block before she leaked in her shorts. She was so embarrassed. She didn’t speak to anyone about it – she did not talk to her physician, or her husband. Blair said, “I was disheartened, I was frustrated, I was upset, I was embarrassed, and thought okay, well maybe I just drank too much or didn’t empty my bladder. I’m going to try this again tomorrow… exact same thing.”

After about a year, she went to see a physician about her condition. Blair’s physician recommended non-invasive at-home treatments such as Kegel exercises and physical therapy. These are always the first line of treatment.

Unfortunately, these measures did not work and Blair had urethral sling surgery. This is a minimally invasive procedure.

Dr. Frederick Klein, Blair’s urologist, said, “It’s a minimally invasive surgery, and extremely successful. Five-year data worldwide now, says 85% of patients are still dry and happy, and the other 15 to 16% are markedly improved.”

Blair spearheaded a national campaign to raise awareness for stress urinary incontinence, which affects millions of women. Too many women are ashamed and embarrassed about the condition, without realizing it isn’t their fault, they can’t control it, but there is help available. SUI is easily treatable, with surgical and non-surgical options.

“We need to dispel the myth that leaking is just a sign of aging,” added Dr. Klein. “Bonnie is young and healthy. It’s a problem from childbirth that caused it.”

Stress urinary incontinence is an easily treatable condition. It can be embarrassing and debilitating, but there is help.

Blair concluded, “If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t think twice about it, that’s how easy it was… I really got my life back.”

If you or a loved one are suffering from stress urinary incontinence or other bladder issues, contact us. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

Valentine’s Day is a special evening: maybe you go to a nice restaurant, share a bottle of wine and dessert, see a romantic movie, then head home for a nightcap. But for individuals who suffer with incontinence, Valentine’s Day may be yet another holiday to avoid. Constant worry about leaking, finding a restroom in an unfamiliar place, or sitting through a movie is enough to ruin the best of evenings. And after a night of stressful situations or frequent pad changing, setting the “mood” at home becomes harder than ever.

Bladder incontinence is an all too common issue. In fact, an estimated 25-30 million American adults suffer with incontinence. Overactive bladder syndrome, also known as urge incontinence, can leave you sprinting for the restroom with frequent urges and little notice. Stress incontinence happens when leaks occur from sneezing, coughing, or exercising. Many individuals will experience both urge and stress incontinence. Whether you suffer from one or both, each dramatically affects your quality life, including your ability to enjoy a romantic evening with your partner.

“On the intimate side, it’s very embarrassing because you don’t always have control over your bladder,” said Melissa, 57, a successful recipient of InterStim® Therapy to control urinary incontinence and patient of Dr. Cathy Naughton, St. Louis Incontinence Institute physician. “You never know when it’s going to act up.”

Dr. Naughton, also Director of the Center for Sexual Health, states, “Women with urinary incontinence have decreased sexual function[1] and sexual dysfunction was common (46%) among 216 women with urinary incontinence and/or lower urinary track symptoms in one study. [2] Many women suffer in silence because they are too embarrassed to speak with their physician.”

Often, many “just live with it,” and deny themselves previously enjoyable activities. There is help! Urinary incontinence is very treatable. The Incontinence Institute offers highly effective urinary and bowel incontinence treatment options. Let us help you get your confidence -and Valentine’s Day- back.

Contact us or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953 to learn more or to set up a consultation with one of our experienced and compassionate physicians.

Trying to look slim in your new dress? You may look to Spanx® or any of the other myriad shapewear options available everywhere from department stores to discount retailers. These products tout themselves as miracle solutions to make your shape more slender and smooth. Most varieties cover the stomach or part of it, the upper thighs and buttocks. Some shapewear covers almost your whole body. Their popularity has exploded in recent years with a large amount of women (and yes even men!) purchasing them.

So what could be bad about something that makes you look good? Evidently, a lot. Physicians are saying that shapewear compresses your organs.

According to gastroenterologist Dr. John Kuemmerle, shapewear can worsen acid reflux and heartburn by compressing your stomach, intestine and colon. When your digestive tract is compressed for a long period of time, this affects the flow of food. There are also implications for incontinence: Your bowels are compressed.

Anyone with bowel disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, or bowel incontinence should stay far away from restrictive shapewear. “In someone who has weakness down below and a tendency toward incontinence,” Dr. Kuemmerle explained, “increasing intra-abdominal pressure can certainly provoke episodes of incontinence.”

Shapewear can also affect bladder incontinence. Shapewear is constricting and can be hard to get off, meaning people try and go to the bathroom less when wearing them. But waiting to use the restroom exacerbates urinary issues, and worsens stress incontinence.

The main takeaway is that shapewear should not be worn by anyone on a daily basis. It should only be worn occasionally. But for those with incontinence, whether bladder or bowel, it’s best to avoid shapewear altogether.

Suffering from incontinence? There is help. Contact our team in Middle Tennessee or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Perhaps to get back in shape or lose those pesky holiday pounds? If your New Year’s Resolution involves going to the gym or attending exercise class, listen up. If you have incontinence, it can get in the way of your goals. It can keep you sidelined from activities, even just jogging with a friend.

But January is Healthy Weight Month and maintaining a healthy weight is vitally important to overall wellbeing. But you don’t want incontinence to stop you.

Here are some tips for managing incontinence while hitting the gym:

1. Manage your liquids: You may try and drink less water to help your incontinence, but that can actually hurt it. You need to be hydrated though to stay healthy, and urine that is too concentrated (read: happens when you are dehydrated) can irritate your bladder. Read up on fluid management.

2. Plan, plan, plan: This goes hand in hand with fluid management. Plan to use the restroom right before you start your workout. Taking it a step further, you should try to plan bathroom breaks every hour and a half or so during a regular day.

3. Wear black: It is the only color that will mask a leak or make it look like it blends in with sweat. The good news is that most workout bottoms come in black.

4. Consider incontinence undergarments: Either that, or bring a change of pants. You may not want to wear a bulky undergarment but there are thinner options now, and it can’t hurt to have it on as backup.

5. Try Kegels: An exercise that doesn’t even have to be done at the gym! Kegel exercises are pelvic floor muscle strengtheners or incontinence exercises. They will help you to strengthen your pelvic floor and stave off leaks.

If you are skipping workouts because you can’t jump, run, jog or move around freely without worrying about incontinence, it may be time to contact us. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

Leaks, accidents, not knowing when the urge will strike – all of these can cause potentially embarrassing situations. You may want to stay at home, inside, all the time. But that just isn’t realistic with a job and responsibilities. So how do you get through the day?

Here are 5 Ways

1. Avoid the temptation of starting the day with coffee. Sure, a hot cup of coffee may warm you up on a cold morning. The caffeine helps you wake up. But if you are living with urinary incontinence, coffee is doing you more harm than good. Coffee has been proven to worsen incontinence because caffeine is a diuretic. The more coffee you drink, the more likely you are to have a leaky bladder when you already suffer from incontinence.

2. Stay hydrated. Wait what? You probably think you shouldn’t drink anything at all. But that is unhealthy. Our bodies need to be hydrated to function best. If you don’t stay hydrated, your urine becomes concentrated. Concentrated urine caused by dehydration can irritate the lining of the bladder and urethra and actually worsen incontinence. The solution is to drink only water, and try fluid management.

3. Plan bathroom breaks. In some lines of work, this is not possible. But if you work in an office setting, you should be able to get up from your desk as needed. You then have the ability to plan a visit to the bathroom every 2 hours. This way, you can try to stave off any urgency that occurs by already going frequently.

4. Tell your family. Or even your boss – This is probably not what you want to hear. In fact, it’s definitely not what you want to hear, because the last thing you want to do is tell them. But it is a medical issue that is affecting your everyday life. If they have a little more understanding, it would explain your behaviors and they may be more supportive than you think.

5. Wear incontinence undergarments. Many people suffering from incontinence are resistant to using incontinence undergarments. This is understandable. If you are not sure when you will be able to get to a restroom, these products can give you peace of mind. You’d much rather have a backup plan than a leak, especially when at work.

These tips can help you manage your incontinence on a day-to-day basis. But if you want a better solution than just dealing with it, contact us. Incontinence is treatable, and there are many options available to you. You can also call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

InterStim® Therapy is an effective surgical treatment for bladder and bowel incontinence. It is a neuromodulation therapy that targets the communication issue between the brain and the nerves that control the bladder.

What exactly does this mean? And is InterStim right for you? InterStim is a small device implanted beneath the skin of your pelvis. It acts as a modulator of neurological signs-bridging the communication barrier between your brain and sacral nerve, which enables proper function of bladder, bowels, sphincter and pelvic muscles.

The small InterStim device emits electrical pulses. These pulses target an area near the sacral nerve, which modulates the neural activity that controls the bladder and bowels. Essentially, these electrical pulses allow you to control your urinary or bowel function.

InterStim may be the right course of treatment for your incontinence. But how do you know if it will work for you?

The first thing to do is work with your physician on what is best for your individual case. First, they will have you try non-invasive treatments such as medication or physical therapy. If those are not successful, the next step could be surgery.

You may qualify for InterStim if:

· You have many urges, either urinary or bowel.

· You have urgency and frequency.

· You experience urinary retention, but do not have an obstruction.

· You want an alternative to oral medication, patches, etc. because they are not working, or because of side effects.

If your physician thinks InterStim could work for your bowel or bladder incontinence, he or she will have you complete a trial evaluation with it. This trial works to find out if this is the right solution for you. Your physician will insert a temporary device for you that you will wear up to two weeks. The patients who are right for InterStim will feel relief from their urgency and incontinence symptoms during the trial.

InterStim Therapy is not right for you if:

· Your incontinence is stress incontinence, not urge incontinence.

· You have a urinary obstruction.

· You are not able to operate the system during your trial.

· Your individual results from your trial evaluation did not demonstrate an appropriate response.

One of the benefits of InterStim Therapy is that unlike oral medication, which targets the muscular component of bladder control, it offers control through nerve activity. This is a more permanent solution. The InterStim Therapy procedure itself is when the device is implanted as an outpatient procedure. InterStim is also Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved. InterStim device itself is about the size of a silver dollar, and it is implanted under the skin.

To learn more about treatment options including InterStim Therapy, contact us. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

If you suffer from overactive bladder or urinary incontinence, you may be a little more than confused on what and when to drink in order to control leaks. There is varying advice out there. And you may assume that you should just not drink anything at all to avoid accidents.

First of all, it’s important that you do stay hydrated. That seems counter intuitive but it’s true. Since our bodies are mostly water anyway, staying hydrated is important to overall health. Cutting back too much on liquids can make you dehydrated, and concentrate your urine. You can tell this is happening because your urine will be darker. Concentrated urine caused by dehydration can irritate the lining of the bladder and urethra and worsen your incontinence.

That being said, there are things you can do to help safely reduce liquids, and one method is called fluid management. It is essentially drinking enough to stay hydrated, but not overdoing the liquids. Excess fluid means more pressure on your bladder, and a greater urge to urinate.

Here are some tips for fluid management:

•   Be mindful of how much you are drinking. Don’t gulp down anything.
•   Stop drinking coffee and soda. Unfortunately, they are probably doing you harm. Carbonation and caffeine irritate your bladder.
•   Avoid alcohol. It can also make incontinence worse.
•   If you get up a lot at night to use the restroom, try to stop drinking after 8 p.m.
•   Write down how much you are drinking. Use a water bottle that has ounce markers on it.

Essentially fluid management is being more mindful of how much you are drinking. Yes, you should still be drinking but you need to pay close attention to how much and when you drink. You can try to look for patterns in your incontinence or urgency.

This is an easy first step in trying to manage your incontinence. Of course, it is just that, a first step. It is important to take it, but if after a few weeks there is no improvement, then it’s time to see a physician. There are a variety of treatment options available to you. Contact us or call our dedicated, discreet Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.

Do you lead an active lifestyle? Sure, you go to the gym or take a walk every evening. But did you drive to work or school this morning? Then sit at a desk all day? Come home to watch TV or relax on the couch? Do online banking, direct deposit, online shopping, and other things to avoid running errands?

Your lifestyle is probably more sedentary than you think. And you may not realize this, but leading a sedentary lifestyle can worsen incontinence, and can even lead to incontinence when in conjunction with other factors.

If your sedentary lifestyle has led to weight gain, this increases your risk for suffering from urinary incontinence (UI).

Becoming more and more sedentary has happened to us over time. And although we are accustomed to it, it does come with health risks. Sitting too much is linked to obesity and heart disease. A British study found that sitting for prolonged periods of time increases the risk of all manner of diseases, including metabolic disease that is a precursor to diabetes. People are especially at risk if they sit all day and do not exercise at all.

Research has shown that a sedentary lifestyle can worsen incontinence. A study of elderly women found that those who exercised regularly had better pelvic floor muscle function.

Another study found that, “Women engaging in regular, moderately intense physical activity have a lower incidence of UI than sedentary women.”

There are two main connections between incontinence and a sedentary lifestyle:

As stated in the study above, a more sedentary lifestyle can make incontinence worse. In the case of the study, advanced age also played a factor. In other cases, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity, which also worsens incontinence.

Individuals who already suffer from incontinence may begin to lead a sedentary lifestyle. This is because they are nervous or embarrassed to try exercising when suffering from incontinence. This is especially true for people with stress incontinence, which is exacerbated by jumping, weightlifting, running and other such activities.

So how do you avoid worsening your incontinence? Or what’s the easiest way to become more active? One of the studies mentioned above suggests that, “with health behavior changes, including moderately intense physical activity, use of pelvic floor strengthening exercises and weight management, as well as avoidance of constipation, women can reduce the incidence of UI.”

Some health behavior changes to consider include:

Try to get up and walk around about once every hour if you sit at a desk all day.

Drive less, walk over to the drugstore, or walk to your friend’s house.

Park further away – do you really need the closest spot in the shopping center?

Take the stairs, not the elevator.

You should also be doing pelvic floor muscle exercises, also called Kegel exercises, to help strengthen the muscles that work to hold in urine.

It is important to your overall health that you lead an active lifestyle. This could mean even the smallest adjustments, as outlined above.

If you are experiencing incontinence, contact our team in Middle Tennessee. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge to learn more at 800-771-1953.

January is Healthy Weight Month. A healthy weight is about so much more than just weight – it impacts many facets of your health. Did you know that your weight could be impacting the severity of your incontinence?

Many people are aware that excess weight or obesity can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. In addition, it adds to the pressure on your knees. But most do not know that it can also increase the risk of incontinence.

Obesity is defined as having an excess of body fat to the point that it endangers your health. One way to calculate whether or not you are obese is measuring your body mass index (BMI). BMI combines your height and weight and can help determine if your weight is posing a danger to your health. You can calculate your BMI online using this tool.

Obesity can be caused by having an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, or it can be genetic. The main recommendation for combating obesity is eating healthier and becoming more active. There are surgical options for curing obesity, but first it’s important to work on losing weight without surgical intervention.

Obesity and Incontinence

Obesity contributes to urinary incontinence because the added weight in the abdomen puts pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles give us the ability to hold in urine and bowel movements, and when they are weakened, it causes incontinence. This extra pressure on the pelvic floor muscles can build up over time and lead to stress urinary incontinence, which is an involuntary urine leak while laughing, sneezing or exercising.

One way to train the pelvic floor muscles is Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises involve tightening the pelvic floor muscles, and they can be done anytime. First, squeeze the muscles you would use to hold in urine. Your belly and buttocks should not be moving when you squeeze. Hold the squeeze for 3-5 seconds, then release. Repeat this 10-15 times. Try to do 3 or more of these sessions per day. This can help to build up the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, which work to hold in urine.

Studies Linking Obesity and Incontinence

A study in the Journal of Urology found that, “obesity is a strong independent risk factor for prevalent urinary incontinence.” The study found a clear response effect of weight on urinary incontinence. Each 5-unit increase in body mass index associated with a 20% to 70% increase in the risk for urinary incontinence. Overall, being overweight is a factor in incontinence. The study recommended weight loss to help ease incontinence symptoms, and for overall improved health.

Weight loss is easy to say though, and harder to do in practice. But being overweight can lead to a variety of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, certain cancers, and incontinence. Take the first step – start with light exercise and cut out sugary sodas. For more tips on weight loss and the importance of healthy weight, click here.

If you experience symptoms of incontinence related to your weight, contact us. Or call our discreet, dedicated Medical Concierge at 800-771-1953.