Each year in emergency departments across the U.S., about 5.8 million adults seek treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to data from the CDC. That’s about one in every 41 adults. One of the most common symptoms of a UTI is a significant increased urge to urinate caused by irritating bacteria in the bladder. These bacteria cause the bladder to feel like it needs to be emptied even when it contains very little urine or none at all. Other common symptoms include pain when urinating and dark or cloudy urine.

Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can take to help prevent a UTI from developing:

· Unless you have kidney failure, the best way to prevent UTIs is by drinking lots of water ideally, about six to eight glasses per day to help flush bacteria out of your urinary tract.

· Wear loose-fitting clothing and cotton underwear to allow air to circulate more freely around the urethra, the opening where urine exits the body.

· If you’re a woman, always wipe front to back after urinating or having a bowel movement to avoid spreading bacteria into the urethra.

· Urinate as soon as you feel the urge, and always urinate after intercourse to remove bacteria that might have entered the urethra during sex.

· Spermicides can increase bacterial growth, so if you use a spermicide and experience frequent UTIs, you may want to discuss alternative options with your birth control provider.

For most people, UTIs are a rare occurrence, and a trip to your doctor can provide you with the medication you need to feel better quickly. But when UTIs are chronic, they can be an indication of a more serious underlying issue. An evaluation by your doctor is the first step in understanding why UTIs are occurring and how to get them under control. Most importantly, don’t delay treatment for a UTI; doing so can cause the infection to become worse, even spreading to your kidneys where bacteria can cause serious damage. If you experience a UTI or if you have UTIs on a regular basis, call us today to schedule an evaluation.

Your body undergoes a lot of changes during pregnancy, and getting back to your pre-pregnancy self can take some time. One of the changes many women experience both during and immediately after pregnancy is incontinence. But while most pregnancy-related incontinence resolves itself, some women may need a little help to see their symptoms eliminated.

If you’re experiencing bladder incontinence as a result of your pregnancy, here is what you need to know:

Pregnant women tend to experience one of two types of incontinence: stress incontinence, which occurs as a result of increased pressure on the bladder, and overactive bladder, an uncontrollable need to urinate that results from bladder spasms. Both of these conditions often clear up on their own in the days and weeks following delivery as the body returns to its pre-pregnancy state. However, in some women, pregnancy can cause pelvic floor muscles to become stretched or weakened, resulting in prolonged symptoms that can take a little effort to overcome. An episiotomy can also injure pelvic floor muscles, causing incontinence to persist.

Many women find performing Kegel exercises to be especially helpful in restoring or maintaining bladder control. Here is how to perform them correctly:

• Relax your buttocks and thigh muscles.
• Now clench your pelvic floor muscles. (Not sure which ones they are? The next time you urinate, squeeze your muscles to stop the flow of urine. Those are your pelvic floor muscles.)
• Keep these muscles clenched for a count of 10 and release while you count to 10.
• Repeat 10 times.
• Perform a series of 10 in the morning, in the afternoon and again before bed.
• It takes about four to six weeks of regular exercises to see results.

Other tips: Avoid caffeinated beverages as they can irritate your bladder. Don’t delay urination when your bladder feels full; this can also cause unnecessary bladder irritation. Until your incontinence is under control, wearing protective undergarments or pads can help you stay comfortable and avoid embarrassment.

Most importantly, if your incontinence persists beyond six weeks following delivery, see your doctor for an evaluation. Contrary to what some people may believe, chronic urinary incontinence is not a natural after effect of pregnancy. There are plenty of options available today to help you get your incontinence under control so you can lead a more comfortable, more confident life.

The CDC released a first-of-its-kind study earlier this year, focused on the prevalence of incontinence issues among Americans 65 years of age and older, including those who live in residential care and nursing home facilities. What they found was surprising: More than half of the people who live in residential care communities and nursing homes suffer from either urinary or bowel incontinence, yet most never bother to seek out care for their conditions.

Just as concerning as the lack of care is the toll these untreated conditions are having on patients quality of life. According to the study, men and women who suffer from bladder or bowel incontinence carry an emotional burden of shame and embarrassment in addition to the physical discomfort and disruption of their lives that occur as a result of their condition.  

Often, men and women who live in nursing communities may feel isolated and alone, or they may have cognitive impairment that makes it difficult for them to communicate their symptoms to a caregiver. Certainly, there is some shame attached to having your bed sheets changed by an orderly or healthcare assistant, as helpful as they may be. And often, older men and women may not be aware of the significant advances in treatment that have occurred even within the past few years, advances that could help them reduce or even eliminate their symptoms through a simple procedure or medication.

If you have a relative or friend living in a nursing home or assisted care facility or receiving home healthcare services, you can help them lead happier, more comfortable lives by providing them with information about incontinence treatments, whether they’ve reported symptoms or not.

At the Incontinence Institute, we offer resources on our website including information about procedures that can be printed out and shared, and you can visit sites like www.augs.org or www.nafc.org for more information to share. If you suffer from incontinence yourself, sharing your own experiences is a great jumping-off point that will help your loved one feel more confident about opening up to you.

Even though it’s not an uncommon condition, urinary incontinence still causes significant embarrassment among those who suffer from it. So much embarrassment, it turns out, that many women don’t bother to discuss their symptoms with their doctors at all. In fact, communication or lack of it was one of eight common barriers to care that were uncovered during a recent series of focus groups that explored women’s UI symptoms and their care.

The other seven barriers that were identified include:

Mistakenly believing that incontinence issues are a normal part of the childbearing process or typically occur following childbirth or as a result of hereditary factors

• Denial or avoidance – essentially, My symptoms will go away if I just ignore them
• Having other health issues that were perceived as being more important and taking precedence over UI symptoms and care
• Fear of treatment, including both medications and surgical options and their aftereffects
• Inconvenience due to access limitations, such as insurance issues, HMO problems, need for referrals, need to use specific providers or need for multiple appointments or need for multiple appointments
• Lack of knowledge about treatment options and benefits
• Physician barriers, including doctors who are dismissive or fail to respond with appropriate information about available treatment options

In addition to communication problems that arise from hesitancy or embarrassment, focus group participants also said communication efforts were hampered when they felt rushed for time during hurried doctor visits.

The fact is, both urinary and fecal incontinence issues can be successfully treated, and they are relatively common. The key to improving or even eliminating symptoms lies in seeking treatment from the appropriate care provider.

What’s more, some incontinence symptoms may be indicators of more serious underlying health conditions, and delaying care can have significant negative consequences. Feeling embarrassment isn’t an uncommon reaction for people who suffer from UI; but learning to overcome that embarrassment to seek out appropriate care options is vitally important, not just for your incontinence issues, but for your overall health as well. Get help, call The Incontinence Institute today.

There are many reasons why people develop urinary incontinence. Some underlying causes can only be addressed with medication or surgical intervention. However, in some patients, a change in habits is all it takes to make a substantial difference in UI symptoms like urge and frequent urination or overactive bladder. A study from researchers in Finland demonstrated just how effective lifestyle changes can be when it comes to UI symptoms by evaluating 2,000 women with urinary urge incontinence.

Researchers looked specifically at the effect of smoking on UI symptoms, comparing symptoms of women who were current or former smokers with those symptoms of women who never smoked. At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that symptoms of urgency and frequency of urination were about three times more common among current smokers than those who had never smoked. Not only that, but the heavier smokersreported more severe symptoms than the light smokers, suggesting a dose-response relationship between smoking and UI symptoms.

Although researchers aren’t sure how smoking affects bladder control, there are a couple of theories, including one linking toxins, like nicotine, to bladder irritation. This irritation can cause an increase in urge and bladder contractions. Smoking-induced coughing is another possible culprit. Each time you cough, substantial pressures are exerted on the bladder, making it much more likely for leakage to occur.

And of course, smoking is also related to a higher incidence of cancers including bladder cancer, which in turn can cause symptoms of urge incontinence.

To date, there are no studies showing how long it can take for symptoms to improve once you stop smoking, but the take-home message of this study is clear: If you want to help yourself to better bladder control and potentially a decrease or even elimination of symptoms, one of the most important lifestyle changes you can adopt is to quit smoking.

For help quitting, visit smokefree.gov or the American Cancer Society website, and if you’re experiencing symptoms of incontinence, schedule an appointment right away to make sure those symptoms aren’t signs of a more serious underlying condition.

Weight-loss surgery may help you avoid obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and now a new study from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine shows it can also help improve urinary incontinence in women who have the surgery.

The study evaluated women who lost about 30 percent of their body weight within a year of having weight-loss surgery.Two-thirds of those who reported suffering from urinary incontinence prior to surgery were relieved of their UI symptoms at the end of those 12 months. The remaining one-third of women with UI prior to weight-loss surgery said their incontinence symptoms had significantly improved.

People who have experienced significant weight gains or who are obese tend to suffer from incontinence issues because of the added pressures on the both bladder and pelvic floor muscles that control the bladder. Losing weight reduces those pressures. For years, doctors have advised women who are overweight and suffering from incontinence to lose weight in an effort to decrease UI symptoms.

Of course, the researchers note in their study, weight-loss surgery carries its own risks, including digestive problems, heart attack and stroke, and many surgeries involve removing a portion of the stomach, which means they’re irreversible. The pros and cons of weight loss surgery should be carefully considered and discussed at length with a physician familiar with the various types of procedures available today.

If you are overweight and suffering from incontinence, schedule an appointment to see your physician to discuss the best options for you. If you are already considering or planning to undergo weight-loss surgery, know that leaving your UI symptoms behind could be an additional benefit.

There are many incontinence solutions available today. Give us a call at (800) 771-1953 to learn more.

Bowel incontinence can occur for a number of reasons, including damage to the sacral nerve, a major nerve that travels from the lower back to the bowels and other organs and tissues. When the nerve is damaged through trauma, disease or another cause, bowel control can become problematic.

A few years ago, the FDA approved the use of a special device designed specifically to stimulate the sacral nerve. Called InterStim® Therapy, the device is implanted just beneath the skin of your pelvis where it acts as a “go-between” or bridge, facilitating communication between your brain and your sacral nerve. Once implanted, the InterStim device emits lightelectrical pulses that stimulate the sacral nerve to help control both bowel and bladder function. Think of it like a pacemaker for the bladder and bowels.

Numerous studies have proven the safety and efficacy of InterStim in both bladder and bowel incontinence. Most recently, a study conducted by researchers in Canada has also demonstrated that InterStim can markedly improve the quality of life for people who suffer from bowel incontinence.

The study looked at 120 patients who had an InterStim implanted and followed them for four years, measuring quality of life indicators included in the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQLS). The FIQLS includes questions about self-esteem and self-confidence, the person’s willingness to travel, leave the home or engage in social activities, and other factors having a significant impact on how much individuals are able to enjoy their lives.

At the end of the study period, researchers found the patients’ quality of life scores had increased significantly while their Fecal Incontinence Severity Index Scores (a measurement of the severity of their symptoms) had markedly decreased.

The study results have major implications for patients who may be on the fence about whether to investigate InterStimTherapy. While some patients may feel they’re willing to wear protective pads and suffer through, understanding the real impact this simple device can have on quality of life can provide patients with greater insight about how they can enjoy a substantial improvement in their own lives. To learn more about InterStim and how it can help you, schedule an appointment today!

If you’re one of the nearly 2 million people who watch the weekly reality show, Real Housewives of Orange County, you may have witnessed a riveting exchange recently between the show’s longest running characters, Vicki and Tamra, as they discussed their mutual dislike for “going potty”:

Tamra: “I have to pee so bad right now but I hate going potty. I’m very busy. To have to stop, take my pants down and sit down and pee, like, I don’t want to waste my time doing that.”

Vicki: “I hate going potty. I will hold it all day long because I don’t want to take time away from seeing my clients or working to go potty. It’s a waste of time.”

Listening to these ladies talk about bladder control and the annoyance of bathroom breaks may sound humorous, but it actually brings up a couple of important health points: First, “holding it in” for prolonged periods of time can increase your risk for urinary tract infections and even cause kidney damage, especially if it becomes a regular habit. And second, it’s also an excellent way to weaken your pelvic floor muscles and overextend and stretch your bladder, making it less resilient and, therefore, more likely to leak when you least expect it. (Ironically, regular viewers will also recognize “potty-hater” Vicki as the one who lost control of her bladder while sitting on Tamra’s bed last season.)

So how often should you go to the bathroom? That really depends a lot on how much fluid you drink. But the best rule of thumb is also the simplest one to follow: If you feel you need to go, go. Keeping your bladder empty is good for your kidneys, it’s good for your bladder health and it’s also good for your pelvic floor muscles.

It’s true that in cases of overactive bladder, you may feel you have to go a lot, even when there’s very little fluid in your bladder. Fortunately, there are treatments for overactive bladder. For most of us, not going to the bathroom even when we feel we need to may seem like a timesaver, but it’s actually a bad habit that can cause an increase in incontinence as well as an increase in more serious health risks.

Most people who’ve heard of Kegel exercises think of them as exercises for women, primarily used following pregnancy to help restore bladder control and re-tone stretched and weakened pelvic floor muscles. But in fact, Kegels can offer some powerful benefits for men as well, including better bladder and bowel control and possibly better sexual performance. The key to unlocking those benefits: Make sure you do the exercises correctly:

Identifying the right muscles

Kegels work on your pelvic floor muscles, so the first step is understanding where those muscles are and how it feels when you tighten them. To locate your pelvic floor muscles, stop urinating in midstream. The muscles you engage to stop the flow of urine are your pelvic floor muscles. For men, imagine trying to pee up a tree.

Performing the exercise

Make sure your bladder is empty before beginning. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Now squeeze the same muscles you use to stop urine flow, holding for three seconds before relaxing. Be sure to focus on your pelvic floor muscles, and try not to engage your thighs, abs, or seat. Avoid an initial reaction to draw in and hold your breath, and instead make sure to breathe normally during the exercises.

Repeat a few times, increasing the number of reps as you become more comfortable with the exercise. Ideally, you want to aim for 10 reps, three times a day.

Once you become adept at identifying and tightening your pelvic floor muscles, you can even do them while sitting and standing. It’s a great way to make good use of time stuck in traffic jams! If you experience pain when doing these exercises or if you continue to have problems with incontinence, call us at (800) 771-1953 to schedule an evaluation.

About 51 million men and women suffer from incontinence, and the prevalence of a wide variety of myths surrounding the condition causes many to suffer in silence. Here are a few of the most common misconceptions surrounding urinary incontinence:

Myth 1: Only elderly people are incontinent.

While the condition is more prevalent among older individuals, incontinence affects younger people too, including women who’ve never been pregnant. In one study of more than 1,000 young women who had never given birth, between 11 and 27 percent reported symptoms of incontinence. Conditions like diabetes, nerve injury, overactive bladder and other medical issues can cause incontinence in young patients of both sexes.

Myth 2: You can treat it by drinking less water.

Fluids, including water, are vitally important to good health. Limiting your intake won’t cure incontinence and it can cause other, more serious conditions to develop. A better option is to limit beverages with caffeine as well as carbonated and alcoholic drinks which may irritate your bladder.

Myth 3: Long-distance travel is out of the question.

Actually, traveling can reduce the symptoms of depression that often accompany incontinence. Depression and feelings of anxiety are not uncommon side effects of both bowel and bladder incontinence, and avoiding the activities you enjoy can exacerbate these problems. You can avoid some of the uncertainty of long-distance travel by carrying extra undergarments and taking frequent rest stops.

Myth 4: If you’ve given birth, your bladder is weakened for life.

It’s true that the weight of pregnancy can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, and an episiotomy can have an effect on both bowel and  bladder control. Still, incontinence symptoms usually disappear  within a few weeks of giving birth, and if they persist, there are many treatments that can help.

Myth 5: Prostate surgery causes long-term incontinence.

While there may be a temporary period of incontinence following surgery, in most cases, it clears up in a few weeks or months.

Myth 6: You just have to live with it.

This is perhaps the biggest myth of all, and it is absolutely WRONG. Today, there are more treatments than ever to treat and even eliminate incontinence. From medication to behavioral therapy to a simple outpatient surgery, solutions are available and your doctor can help you decide what is best for you.

If you’ve fallen victim to these or other myths, forget what you think you know and talk to The Incontience Institue today. It’s the first step toward a better tomorrow.