Are Your Pee Pipes Piddling?
by Shawn Shanahan, APRN-WHNP / Kalispell OB/GYN
A leaky bladder is not a laughing matter, or is it? For one thing, laughing all too often leads to leakage. So does coughing, sneezing, exercising, or changing positions. Unprovoked bladder leakage may just incline one to stay home and become a recluse. Sometimes it feels like just living causes the bladder to leak! It happens at the most inconvenient times and interrupts the most joyful times with family and friends. Having to excuse oneself surreptitiously to change one’s bottoms can ruin the best jokes. Holding back a full belly laugh just can’t be healthy. Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine. Blowing a snotty nose repeatedly from allergies or infection is bad enough, but when one is leaking from both ends, it is just NOT FAIR! Furthermore, who wants the odor of urine to take the fun out of jumping up after your kid sneaks a whoopee cushion onto your chair? If you are concerned about weight gain because you no longer exercise due to a misbehaving bladder, I say, “Enough already!”
Although common, do not accept stress urinary incontinence (SUI) as a normal part of aging. Do not accept any type of incontinence as normal for that matter. SUI is the most common type of bladder leakage in younger women. 24-40% of women over 30 years old suffer from it. The good news is that it is treatable and has several treatment options. Treatment can be as simple as bladder retraining through pelvic floor physical therapy and lifestyle management, practicing exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles, or using vaginal estrogen. Vaginal estrogen plumps up the tissue around the bladder opening to give more support for urinary control. Another option may be wearing a vaginal supportive device called a pessary to lift dropping pelvic organs. Many women come to Kalispell OB-GYN for pessary fitting.
Surgical options are also available, and some are not very invasive at all. The tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body, also known as the urethra, may just need a little support. A strong thin strip of material may be permanently placed behind the urethra to act as a back stop to prevent leakage from pressure on the urethra during daily activities. In the medical world, this is called a sling. This effective method takes the work out of managing leakage.
A similar way to support the urethra without any incisions includes injecting a bulking agent around the urethra. This agent called Bulkamid is at very low risk for complications and is immediately effective. The polyacrylamide hydrogel has been available for use in Europe since 2006 and in the USA since 2020 when it was approved by the FDA. The procedure involves 3-4 injections of soft water-based gel around the urethra and takes an average of 10 minutes to perform the injections may be administered under general anesthesia or with a local anesthetic. SUI leakage is cured or significantly improved in 92% of women for up to 7 years. Risks are minimal, and recovery is very quick. Bulkamid should not be injected when a bladder infection is present, or if the urethra is constricted, and the FDA has not approved it for men. It is an appealing treatment option for women with a busy lifestyle wanting a quick fix. Don’t take my word for it.
In the words of Hayley B.,
“This procedure was a life changer! I can run, sneeze, cough, laugh and I don’t pee anymore! I love being active with my young kids and hesitated racing them in the driveway, or jumping on the trampoline because I’d pee my pants. Not anymore…the procedure changed my life and it lasts up to 7 years! I’m so happy.”
Kalispell OB-GYN will be happy to assist you or your loved one with incontinence issues to find the best treatment(s) geared toward your needs. You do not have to accept leaky pipes as a way of life. From Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” At Kalispell OB-GYN laughter can be the best medicine.
The article recently appeared in 406 Women’s Magazine