share: Does embarrassment over urinary incontinence keep you from getting it treated?
Have you dealt with urinary incontinence, and feel too embarrassed to ask for help? You're not alone.
A story on the Baltimore Sun web site today says that many of the millions
of women who suffer from incontinence share your thinking, are embarrassed to talk about their symptoms with their doctors, or think that not much can be done about it (even though it can be treated in most cases). The reporter interviewed Dr. Warren T. Oberle, a urologist with the Urology Specialists of Maryland at Mercy Hospital.
Oberle discusses the two kinds of incontinence: urgency incontinence and stress incontinence. The first is simply when you don't make it to the restroom in enough time. The latter is when coughing, laughing or other movements can cause a small amount of urine to leak. Stress incontinence is often related to age or child-bearing, anything that causes the pelvic muscles to weaken.
From the story:
"Who is at risk for incontinence?
"All women, and sometimes there is no clear reason why they might be incontinent, especially with urgency. With stress incontinence, age and childbirth are the contributors, but urgency incontinence can happen to women of all ages. Estimates of how many women suffer from urgency incontinence have ranged from 12 percent to up to a third of women, but nobody really knows."
For more of the interview, go to the Sun's story:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-to.hs.expert15dec15,0,7064...
Do you have instances of urinary incontinence? Are you hesitant to talk about it to your doctor?
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Lovin' that incontinence! Not!
The only time I suffered was when I was pregnant. And it's not just when you are huge, either!
I was in Europe at about 6 months along with my first child and I was standing in a relative's hallway and she said something really funny. I laughed - hard. And yes, had une petite accident (say that in a French accent and it almost sounds cute!). I wasn't very embarrassed, really, just really mad that I was wearing the most fabulous fitted chiffon-type black minidress and I had to change! The 'accident' part didn't bother me but having to change that fabulous dress had me all out of sorts.
For the rest of my pregnancies I had to prepare myself when I knew I had to sneeze or watch myself if I laughed. I did mention it to my midwives and I didn't mind at all. (I was more embarrassed at the end of my first pregnancy and I asked them why I kept crying when I wasn't sad and burst into tears while doing so. I kept saying "but I'm fine! I'm happy!" and I was bawling my eyes out and sobbing like a loon. One of them was laughing her head off!).
Other than that, I've been ok. I guess it's something I don't feel is embarrassing. I don't know why. After my baby was born, I got pregnant immediately and again after that. Maybe I'm so used to diapers every day of my life since then that I figure the whole world is incontinent!
December 15, 2008 - 12:37pmThis Comment