Normal… leakage
Have you laughed, coughed, sneezed and a little urine "leaked"?
Don't panic, it's something that often happens after giving birth, but with the right habits it's quickly fixed.
One of the taboos that are gradually being broken is the subject of incontinence, whether it is due to organic or age-related factors or is a "consequence" of pregnancy.
In the second case, it can occur at any age while the lack of treatment or prevention increases the chances of incontinence near menopause.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the condition of involuntary, that is, without our will, loss of urine and is a very common problem.
It is actually much more common than we think.
A recent study conducted in our country showed that 3 out of 10 women have some problem with their bladder, such as frequent urination, loss of urine, etc.
What makes the study even more interesting is that a large percentage of these women are young.
Also, according to research, incontinence occurs 2.5 to 3 times more often in women than in men.
The reason this happens has to do with the anatomical structure of the female body, with hormones, childbirth, climacteric and menopause.
Incontinence after childbirth
Women who have given birth vaginally often experience a slight, transient, urinary incontinence after the bladder is squeezed and pulled down as the baby's head passes through the birth canal.
When urine escapes when you laugh, cough, sneeze or move quickly the problem is called stress incontinence.
Pelvic floor exercises will improve your ability to fully control your urine – the sooner you start, the sooner you'll see results.
However, if, despite the regular repetition of the exercises, you continue to suffer from loss of urine or strong incontinence that affects your daily life (continuous incontinence that prevents you from going out of the house because you are afraid of possible accidents or that you may not be able to go to the toilet in time) , you need to talk to your gynecologist to help you.
Deficiency of the intestinal sphincter
After a vaginal birth, especially if the second stage was prolonged and there is an extensive perineotomy or tear, some women may partially lose control of their bowel sphincter (insufficiency to defecate).
Usually this problem is quickly restored after childbirth, with the help of exercises for the pelvic walls.
However, in the rare cases when the woman has severe deficiency and it is impossible to control the movements of the bowel sphincter, she needs help from a specialist.
How can I catch her?
A good habit is to do Kegel exercises every day that work the muscles you use when you want to stop urinating.
In fact, these exercises have a double benefit.
First you learn to control the contractions of the internal muscles of the vagina and bladder, so you deal with the problem of incontinence to a certain extent.
At the same time, it has been proven that these exercises increase the intensity of sexual satisfaction.
To do these exercises, simply contract the muscles, as if you want to stop urination.
Try to hold this position for a few seconds. Do 10 – 20 repetitions and stop if you feel pain.
To locate the specific muscles try stopping the flow of your urine when you are on the toilet.
The muscles you tighten to achieve this are exactly what we're talking about.
Now imagine that "down there" an elevator works.
Do the exercise in three stages:
- Tighten the muscles so that you do 3 "stops" on the way up and another 3 on the way down. Hold your muscles tight for 5 seconds each time.
- Without relaxing, tighten a little more and hold for another 5 seconds.
- Now try going up another "floor", tightening even more.
- Complete the exercise by reducing the intensity of the contraction again in three steps, without relaxing in between.
How will I deal with her?
Contrary to popular belief, most cases of light incontinence can show significant improvement or be cured with appropriate treatment.
Of course, the first step to overcoming the problem is to talk to your doctor.
Depending on the severity and the reason for the occurrence of incontinence, the doctor will advise you what to do.
Keep in mind, however, that after a vaginal delivery, a small loss of urine is quite common, which normally decreases with the passing of the weeks.
Urinary incontinence that may remain after vaginal delivery but also most cases of light incontinence can be treated with some Laser Gulf sessions.
Call us for more information!
Is incontinence prevented?
In cases of mild incontinence, the doctor recommends avoiding constipation, quitting smoking (because it can cause a chronic cough that leads to more frequent episodes of incontinence) and maintaining a stable weight so as not to increase the pressure inside the abdomen.
These general tips are good for all women to follow, not only to reduce the chances of experiencing incontinence, but also because they contribute to maintaining our good health.
The causes of incontinence
The most common causes of temporary incontinence are:
- The urinary tract infection
- Vaginitis or other irritation of the vagina
- Constipation
- Pregnancy, usually in the last months
- Taking diuretic drugs
- Neurological and psychosomatic disorders
- Symptom of heart disease
Non-temporary causes of incontinence may include:
- Weakness of the muscles that hold the bladder in place or the bladder itself
- Relaxation of the pelvic muscles
- Weakness of the urethral sphincters
- Lack of hormones
Gynecologist or urologist?
The first doctor a woman with incontinence will visit is her gynecologist.
Of course, urologists can also deal with the problem, but because in 70% cases the incontinence is accompanied by pelvic floor relaxation, the gynecologist can handle the problem very effectively.
I'm leaking urine here and there. Am I incontinent?
If when you laugh a lot or cough strongly you "escape" a little urine, you may be in the early stages of incontinence and it is a good idea to visit your doctor since the earlier you deal with the problem, the more effective the treatment will be.
There are two types of stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a combination of the two.
The diagnosis is made with a urodynamic test.
The treatment in the first case is surgical in the second pharmaceutical.
