Urinary incontinence – the involuntary loss of urine – happens to a lot of us – a whopping 30 million Americans deal with it each and every day. But you wouldn’t know it. Incontinence is a condition that we’ve come to accept as “taboo”. No one wants to discuss bladder leaks, no one wants to hear about them, and there’s certainly no one who wants to admit that they actually suffer from the condition. Why Now Is The Best Time To Talk About That Leaky Bladder.
But why is that? Incontinence is a medical condition, like anything else. And just like any other medical condition, bladder leaks should be talked about, and they most certainly should be treated.
The makers of absorbent products and incontinence treatments know this. There are countless treatments and products designed to control incontinence and bladder leaks – so many that it’s a wonder that more people don’t address the issue. The adult absorbent market is enormous, with thousands of products designed to fit your body type, the level at which you leak, if you leak during the day or night (or both) and the style of protection you’d like to wear (if you’ve ever stood in this aisle in a supermarket, you’ll know what we mean).
There are new devices popping up on the market all the time to address weakened pelvic floor muscles, and physical therapists specifically trained in this area that can help you learn to tone and relax your muscles all on your own. There are medications, injectables, implantable nerve stimulators, bulking agents, and even BOTOX to treat an overactive or leaky bladder. And if none of that works for you, there are surgeries that can help with these issues as well.
So with so many treatments available, it’s surprising that it takes the average person 7 years to even bring up bladder leaks with their doctor. We at NAFC constantly ask ourselves – “Why is that? Why don’t people just take the steps to get treatment? “And yet, we know the reason: fear, shame, and embarrassment.
Incontinence Is An Emotionally Complicated Condition
Most people are so scared of anyone finding out about their bladder leaks (even their doctor), they’ll adjust their whole life around the issue just to avoid it. A recent survey conducted by NAFC found that 65% of respondents with incontinence felt moderately or severely impacted by their condition – making them feel embarrassed, nervous about accidents, or deeply ashamed.
We know this is an embarrassing condition to discuss with your doctor, but we urge you; make this year the year that you finally decide to bring it up. Because if 2020 has taught us nothing else, it’s that life is short, and unpredictable. Don’t wait to address something that has the potential to impact your life so greatly, when it could so easily be taken care of.
Download A Free Kit To Help You Get Started With Treatment
NAFC can help. We have loads of information on all types of bladder and bowel health conditions right here on our site. And, we’ve even put together a free downloadable kit to help you talk to your doctor as a part of our recent No Leaks campaign.
