Help! I’m leaking!!
We think it’s embarrassing… and we don’t like to talk about it, but urinary incontinence, (leaking) is more common than you think.
The reality is that:
-1 in 4 women
-1 in 9 men
-and 1 in 6 children
suffer from some form of incontinence. Yep! That’s right, and only 1 in 12 people seek treatment which is a shame because there’s so much that can be done to help. So, let’s change that statistic and get informed about this topic and start talking about it with our doctors, friends, family and most importantly, a physiotherapist who specializes in pelvic floor health
Let’s start by sorting out the facts from some of the fiction out there about urinary incontinence:
Myth #1 = It’s normal to have urinary leakage after childbirth
Myth #2 = It’s normal to have urinary leakage as you age
Myth #3 = There’s nothing you can do about urinary leakage.
____________
Fact #1 = Urinary incontinence affects women the most, with 50% of them having at least one issue at some point in their life.
Female Prevalance of urinary leakage:
Young Adulthood is 20-30%
Middle Age is 30-40%
Elderly is 30-50%
Fact #2 =As women age 33% end up having regular problems with urinary incontinence.
Some of the Risk Factors are:
- Obesity
- Post Menopause (hormone changes – Ugh!!)
- Over 40 (1 in 3)
- Pregnancy & Childbirth
- Having more than one child
- Obstetric trauma (forceps, suction, tearing)
- Gynaecological or Urinary surgery
- Chronic Illness
- Medication
- Smoking
- Chronic straining
Fact #3 = There’s A LOT you can do to treat this condition.
The pelvic floor muscles do more than just help with urinary incontinence. They also:
- provide support for our internal organs
- provide stability for our back and pelvic girdle
- increase sexual function
- assist the lymphatic system and veins by bringing blood back to the trunk.
At Durham Pelvic Health Physiotherapy, we specialize in this incredibly important treatment. Our mission is to educate, treat and empower you to take back control…of your bladder and your life!!
Until then, give us a call at our Whitby location (905)444-2282 or our Newcastle location (905)987-4533 for more information or to book an appointment with Kate or Ana.https://www.durhampelvichealth.ca/pelvic-health/
