Urinary Incontinence is NOT a Taboo Subject {Part 1 of 3}

Urinary incontinence is not a topic we tend to discuss with others.  We may jokingly say to our girlfriends or sisters, something like, “don’t make laugh so much, I’ll pee my pants”.  But, I don’t recall ever sitting down with anyone, including my doctor, and having a serious conversation about adult incontinence (AI).  I’m a nurse, the rational side of me knows this happens to many men and women, including me, but I have never really had a frank discussion about urinary incontinence with anyone.

Most of us talk openly about our high blood pressure, asthma, gallbladder problems, psoriasis, and arthritis. We love to regale anyone who will listen about every aspect of our labour and delivery so why, as a society, don’t talk more openly about adult incontinence?

Maybe there is a bit of an embarrassment factor? Perhaps AI feels like a private matter? Maybe I feel some latent guilt for not being more vigilant with my postpartum Kegel exercises? I’m not sure the reason, but I do know I am not alone in keeping this problem to myself.

Today that is all changing, I have no logical reason what-so-ever to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Urinary incontinence happens to so many people of all ages and I want to help remove the stigma.  So, I am here to tell you I have stress urinary incontinence as well as urinary urgency.

Honestly, I feel good that I got my incontinence issues “out there” for all to see.  I hope others will come forward and share their stories too. We don’t need to feel isolated and alone, because we are not. As a group, we need to support each other and remove the perceived blemish that is incontinence.

While knowing that you are not alone and that adult incontinence is a common condition that affects about 1 in 3 women over the age of 18 may be comforting, the first step to living with your overactive bladder is understanding it.

Common Types of Adult Incontinence

 

On its most basic level, incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of urine, but there are different types of incontinence that affect different women for different reasons. The most common types are:

Urge Incontinence

• When you have a strong need to urinate but can’t reach the toilet in time — it can happen to anyone at any age.

Stress Incontinence

• When you experience bladder leaks when coughing, sneezing or laughing — it is even more common in younger rather than older women.

Mixed Incontinence

• A combination of both stress and urge incontinence symptoms.

Incontinence can be caused by anything from pregnancy to menopause, strenuous physical activities or even a medical condition. To get a more detailed understanding of your personal incontinence symptoms and what is causing them, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor.

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