How are you supposed to optimize your performance when you’re peeing yourself?
Urinary incontinence is a common challenge for women as we get older. Studies show at least 50% of post-menopausal women suffer from some type of incontinence. Odds are, someone close to you is affected.
It seems that the word on the street is that urinary incontinence happens after vaginal childbirth because of the stretching to the pelvic area. Some believe that it’s a natural consequence of aging. But these are misconceptions. Age and muscular stress often causes atrophy in the vaginal mucosa. This can develop into dryness, itchiness, frequent burning with intercourse, diminished sexual function, laxity and urinary leakages.
Stress urinary incontinence is when pee leaks out while you’re doing something that increases the abdominal pressure–like sneezing, lifting weights or jumping jacks. It can be inconvenient and embarrassing. Urge incontinence is linked to an overactive bladder in the filling phase. People with urge incontinence sometimes can’t get to the bathroom before urine leakage. They do not have problems during exercise. Also inconvenient and embarrassing.
I haven’t had any kids (and I’m not menopausal), and I’ve experienced stress urinary incontinence myself as have my patients without kids. My suspicion is my own stress incontinence was due to low estrogen, which was due to lots of inflammation from stress and shift work. (Another reason that shift work has serious health consequences.)
The good news is we don’t have to live with leakage. Four laser treatments within a 20 day interval can get you back out there doing what you love. The recent introduction of non-ablative solid state laser assisted vaginal rejuvenation offers an evidence-based non-invasive method to get rid of the leakage. It’s a painless outpatient procedure that does not require anesthesia and has almost no side effects. In addition to treating incontinence, studies show the treatments also enhance sexual function.
Research: