Stress Urinary Incontinence, Bladder Training, Kegel Exercises

Don’t you just hate it when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise and oops – your bladder leaks? Unfortunately, millions of women across a range of ages experience that embarrassment and when it happens to you – it’s no laughing matter.

Physical changes from pregnancy, childbirth, abdominal surgery, being overweight, and menopause frequently contribute to stress incontinence. Bladder leakage and the urge to urinate increases after menopause because of lowered estrogen levels. Growing old gracefully is an ongoing challenge.

For some women behavioral techniques and lifestyle changes are preferable to vaginal mesh patch surgery.

What to do: Reduce or eliminate alcohol and caffeine, drink less, and increasing physical activity are some good beginning tips. Your healthcare professional may recommend bladder training whereby you delay the urge to urinate first by minutes and then by hours. Focused deep breathing and meditation distracts urges. Urinating by the clock or on schedule vs. a willy-nilly urge is another form of bladder training.

Kegel Exercises

Pelvic floor muscle exercises frequently called Kegel exercises after the doctor who invented them strengthen pelvic floor muscles and urinary sphincter muscles.  To do Kegel exercises, lie with your back on the floor. Now imagine trying to stop your urine flow. Squeeze the muscles you would use to stop urinating and hold for a count of three and repeat. Your doctor or a physical therapist can help you learn how to do these exercises correctly. How well Kegel exercises work will depend on your fortitude to do them regularly.

If you’re older than 60 years of age, Kegel exercises will not work (or under 60 depending on your circumstances and medical history) and your doctor will most likely recommend surgical options like vaginal mesh patch surgery.

Contact A Medical Device Law Firm

Women who have had vaginal mesh patch surgery are suffering serious to quality of life diminishing side effects. If you or a loved one has suffered because of vaginal mesh patch surgery for urinary incontinence or prolapse – please contact Anapol Schwartz, a medical device law firm, to find out what your legal options are.

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