Getting Help

• Getting Information and Support
• Specialists Who Can Treat Incontinence
• 5 Common Incontinence Myths
• Talking To Your Doctor

Getting Information and Support

Incontinence can be troubling, confusing, and embarrassing. It's a difficult problem to talk about, especially with people who have never experienced what you're going through. It's important to understand that you're not alone, and because incontinence can be a highly emotional issue, it helps to discuss and share with others who can relate.

The Internet provides access to all sorts of resources, including online incontinence support groups. No matter your gender or the cause or severity of your incontinence, there's a community of people out there who understand your problem first-hand. Have a look at the discussions at Daily Strength and the National Association for Continence. Researching, inquiring, joining, and learning are great ways to help everyone involved understand and manage incontinence.

Knowing where to obtain protective products is also an important part of maintaining good physical and emotional health, as they allow you to assert some degree of control over bladder or bowel issues and help preserve privacy and dignity. National Incontinence has a full line of incontinence products designed to accommodate both men and women with varying degrees of incontinence.

Specialists Who Can Treat Incontinence

If you start to experience symptoms of incontinence, it's important to consult your healthcare provider. Remember, incontinence is a symptom, not a disease. Depending on the cause of your incontinence, your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist who's trained to treat the problem. The medical field is very specialized, so all of the different terms and titles can be confusing. Here's a quick guide to terms you might hear during your visit with your healthcare provider:

• Urologist: Trained to treat problems of the male and female urinary tracts and the male reproductive organs. They can also perform surgery.
• Urogynecologist: A urologist or OB/GYN who specializes in treating women who have pelvic floor dysfunction, such as prolapse or unresolved incontinence.
• Gastroenterologist: Trained to treat diseases of the digestive tract, including those that result in fecal incontinence.

When discussing incontinence with any healthcare provider, it's very important to be honest about all of your symptoms in order to receive the most effective advice and treatment. It helps to keep track of your symptoms in a journal right when they appear; that way, when you visit your healthcare provider, he or she will be able to see exactly when the problem started, how and at what rate it got worse or better, etc.

5 Common Incontinence Myths

1. Incontinence is just a normal part of getting older. You are not destined to have urine leakage once you reach a certain age. The muscles that are part of your pelvic floor can be strengthened just like your biceps or quadriceps.
2. Childbirth caused irreversible problems “down there”. Once your doctor determines why leakage is occurring, effective treatments can help you regain the control that you once had.
3. Prostate surgery leaves most men incontinent. Some men experience temporary incontinence as they recover from prostate surgery but medical treatments can improve the outcome.
4. You just have to live with it. In most cases, urinary incontinence can be greatly reduced or eliminated. Treatment can consist of behavioral therapies, medications or in a few cases, surgery.
5. The best solution is to just use a sanitary napkin in my underwear everyday. If you find that you need daily protection, it is healthiest to use products specially designed to collect and hold urine.

Talking To Your Doctor

People tend to have difficulties talking about certain things, and discussing bladder control issues might be number one on the taboo topic list for some. If you're experiencing urinary incontinence (UI), it's important to let your healthcare provider know. When discussing the issue with him or her, be prepared to talk openly in order to eventually get the proper diagnosis and most effective treatment. Start by gathering information your healthcare provider may need in order to open the lines of communication.

First, make a list of your incontinence symptoms: difficulty starting to urinate, weak stream, dribbling or leakage, feeling like your bladder isn't emptying completely... the list could go on, but it's very important to include anything and everything you're experiencing. Over a few days, record your urination habits. For example, keep track of how many times you woke up during the night to go to the bathroom, or how many times you felt the urge to urinate and then couldn't. Definitely take note if you've experienced any pain or bleeding with urination and mention any recent stomach, rib, or back pain. Finally, be honest about whether your urinary symptoms are interfering with your lifestyle.

If you've already started using absorbent undergarments to manage your problem, use them as a sort of gauge. Let your healthcare provider know how much liquid is being captured and how well the absorbency level you're using works. The more information you provide, the better your treatment plan will be.