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- $Unique_ID{BRK01604}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Bladder Training to Help with Urinary Incontinence}
- $Subject{bladder urine incontinence Genitourinary Urinary Incontinences
- Urgency urge void toilet urination voidings resource resources urinate
- urinating urinates incontinent urethral sphincter}
- $Volume{J-16}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Bladder Training to Help with Urinary Incontinence
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- QUESTION: I am cursed by a problem I know many women have. I lose my water
- at the most disturbing and embarrassing time. I have read all I can find
- about this condition, but I am looking to you for anything new that might
- help. There must be something I can do to stop or at least reduce the times I
- find I must withdraw from the room and seek the privacy of my own room.
- Please print my question, it is a very important one.
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- ANSWER: Urinary incontinence is indeed a most distressing situation, and
- affects an estimated 10 million Americans, with twice as many women than men
- facing the problem. Almost half of all people living in nursing homes suffer
- urinary incontinence. For many the only hope is treatment with medications
- or surgery, both of which may have both side effects and risks. The first
- step towards any rational treatment is a complete clinical evaluation by your
- physician, who may discover the exact nature of your problem. Urgency and
- urge incontinence is characterized by a sudden need to void of such a nature
- as to occur before reaching the toilet. Incontinence may also occur during
- periods of exertion, stooping to lift an object, or coughing (stress
- incontinence).
- Both situations may be helped by the concept of bladder training, which
- is based on principles of behavior modification, and consists of education and
- strict scheduling of urination. Patients are instructed to void at specific
- times even when they feel no desire, and by contrast must try suppress the
- urge when the need is experienced before scheduled times. The goal of such
- programs is to reach intervals of from 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours between
- voidings, enough time to allow scheduling normal social activities. Such
- training programs may reduce the number of incontinent episodes by more than
- half, and the results of the training is still effective six months after the
- training is completed. For more information on this subject you may write for
- the AGE PAGE on "Urinary Incontinence", obtainable from the National Institute
- on Aging (NIA) Information Center, P.O. Box 8057, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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