Incontinence Treatments - From Exercise to Surgery

Dianna Malkowski
Physician Asst & Nutritionist
If you are one of those individuals who think that incontinence is just part of the natural aging process then you need to think again. Incontinence is one of those problems that can plague you throughout your entire lifetime. Many younger women experience it just as often as elderly women. Living with incontinence is something that can be a struggle but with the right products you will easily be able to manage your incontinence problem; http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/landing/incontinence/. For some patients, incontinence is something that may not end up responding to surgery and other treatments, especially those treatments that are quite conservative. Incontinence surgery may need to be the choice that you consider if you are struggling to get by with your daily life. The urinary incontinence surgery is a risky procedure but it can provide you with long-term relief if you are dealing with a very severe case of urinary incontinence.

Exercise is a great alternative to surgery if you do not want to want to go under the knife. With exercise your goal is to focus on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. You have to use Kegel exercises in order to properly strengthen your pelvic muscles and you will easily be able to improve your bladder and its ability to hold the urine in. When you run and jump during exercise you will likely still experience problems with incontinence but as you work on the muscles over time you may start to see that you do not drip as much urine throughout the day.

Stress incontinence surgery is used but not recommended if you are planning to have future children. It is important that you consider the physical shape your body is in and to make sure that you are doing all that you can in order to strengthen the muscles as it will be able to give you a swift recovery from surgery. Physical therapy is often used after surgery in order to properly strengthen the muscles and to help repair the damaged nerves as well.

There are some risks that are associated with incontinence surgery including the following:
·         Overactive bladder, often leading to urge incontinence
·         Pelvic organ prolapsed
·         Difficulty urinating
·         Urinary tract infection
·         Painful sexual intercourse

                                  Watch this video - how to choose the right incontinence product

For individuals suffering from stress incontinence the common type of surgery used is known as a sling procedure. The sling procedure is performed by stripping the body of tissue and creating a pelvic sling that will go around the neck of the bladder and will help to support urethra and will allow it to stay closed. Slings do work well as they will support the bladder and urethra when you sneeze or cough.

One option that may be used is to have a bulking agent like collagen injected into the tissue that surrounds the urethra in order to help it stay closed so you don’t have as much leakage throughout the day. It will give you more control over the bladder and actually holding urine in. With bulking agents you will likely need multiple injections as they don’t work just one time and you have to have it done about 3 or more times a year.

In addition to surgery it is recommended that you also follow instructions of your physician to help improve your bladder and your life. What you need to do is watch your fluid intake and only drink water. Do not consume caffeine, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners as they will all cause you to have additional problems with incontinence. It is also a wise decision to have incontinence products to use as well as they will be able to make it much easier for you to get by with your day to day life. To find quality incontinence products visit this link: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/incontinence-product-finder/.

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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