Many of you reading this may be more familiar with the symptoms of urinary incontinence than you realise… that feeling of worry when you go out – will there be a toilet nearby? When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go! Or even when you’re having a good old belly laugh with your friends and a little bit of wee comes out…
Urinary incontinence is when you pass urine without meaning to. It affects loads of women, but the medical stats can’t say exactly how many because far too often, many women feel too embarrassed to admit it or go to their doctor about it, but Dr Frankie is here to bust the taboos!
There are 2 types of urinary incontinence; stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Whatever the cause, urinary incontinence can be really distressing and interfere with your daily life. Many women report it interferes with their social lives; they fear going out in case there isn’t a bathroom close by, but also within their sex life.
There are several ‘self-help’ things you can try at home such as pelvic floor exercises, avoiding caffeine, losing weight and avoiding constipation by eating more fruit & veg, which can add extra pressure on the bladder wall. I would always recommend speaking to your own doctor about any symptoms you are having as they may be able to offer you some specialist treatments.
The statistics show women are embarrassed to talk about this, but chances are your friends are affected by it too. Let’s break down the taboos about urinary incontinence and get you the treatment needed to live your normal life without being worried about leaking urine!
