Press release - For immediate release
23 July 2009
Incontinence not inconvenience
Patients are encouraged to overcome their embarrassment
and
seek help
Urinary incontinence is not only an
inconvenience but is a medical condition which can affect people of
all ages. There are an estimated 14 million people in the
UK1 who experience continence problems. Statistics show
that the majority of sufferers are female, affecting one in five
women who are over 40 years of age2.
Uncomfortable, a nuisance
and often embarrassing, urinary incontinence can often affect your
lifestyle with many women restricting or avoiding physical
activity, travel or social relationships. Unsurprisingly, it is
also a condition many people find difficult to talk about.
As a
result, thousands of women are suffering in
silence; many think it is something they just have to put up with,
often considering it to be simply part of everyday life, especially
after having children. Many women with continence problems have
never discussed their condition with a healthcare professional, as
they often believe that there is no help available.
Urinary incontinence can be classified in four
categories:
-
Stress
|
the involuntary loss of urine during physical activities such as
coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising or other ordinary
movements
|
| - Urge
or urgency |
a sudden compelling desire to pass urine
|
| -
Mixed |
a combination of urge and stress urinary incontinence
|
| -
Overflow |
the involuntary loss of urine resulting from an overfilled
bladder without any corresponding feeling or urge to pass
urine
|
Females of all ages are at risk of urinary
incontinence including women of childbearing age, those
experiencing menopause in middle age, ladies aged 60 and older and
even athletes in their mid-twenties. Unfortunately many women don’t
realise that most cases of female urinary incontinence,
particularly stress urinary incontinence, are treatable and are too
self conscious to seek help.
Jane Simpson, Continence Nurse
Specialist at The London Clinic says:
“The most difficult step for women is often
the initial conversation with their doctor. It’s important not to
be embarrassed; incontinence is a medical condition that can be
treated.”
“Getting a diagnosis is the first step
on the road to recovery. Once your doctor has gathered a detailed
medical history with which to make a diagnosis, various treatment
options can be considered.”
“Here at The London Clinic our first line of
treatment for most patients with stress incontinence is pelvic
floor exercises. We teach these exercises using biofeedback
equipment; the patient is given a pelvic floor educator to practise
with at home. We also use vaginal weights and electrical
stimulation as appropriate.”
“Lifestyle advice is also very important. We
recommend that patients lose weight, look at their fitness regime
and examine their diet and fluid intake. Something simple like
drinking too much water may be half the problem!”
If pelvic floor exercises fail to improve or
cure stress urinary incontinence there are a range of surgical
options available. These include sling procedures whereby a
synthetic material, TVT (tension free vaginal tape), is inserted
into the vagina through a small incision to help support the
urethra. This procedure usually requires an overnight stay in the
hospital and relieves over 90% of patients with stress urinary
incontinence.
Another option for urgency urinary
incontinence is drug therapy which blocks the release of messages
from the nerves that control the bladder’s contractions and can
provide an effective treatment in 60-70% of patients. However this
medication is not effective for all patients and some patients may
need to stop the drug therapy due to side effects which may include
dry mouth and constipation.
More recently a new procedure using Botox is
being used to treat patients who have not had successful treatment
with drug therapy. This treatment involves injections into the
bladder under local anaesthesia and its effect lasts an average of
12 months. Mr Mohammad Shamim Khan, Consultant Urologist at
The London Clinic explains:
“Four years ago surgeons started using Botox
as a treatment for over active bladders causing urgency
incontinence. Normally when the bladder is full, messages from
nerve endings cause the bladder muscle to contract by releasing
chemicals called neuro-transmitters. In patients with urgency
incontinence, these contractions occur very frequently and
prematurely even when the bladder is not full, making the patient
need to go to the toilet many times a day. Usually the urge
associated with these premature contractions is so strong that the
sufferer leaks urine before reaching the toilet.
When injected directly into the bladder, Botox
prevents the nerves producing these neuro-transmitters in the first
place and, in turn, prevents the bladder muscle from contracting
prematurely. Basically, it desensitises the action just enough to
ensure you still need to pass urine, but you no longer need to go
as often. As the Botox wears off, the treatment will need to be
repeated.”
With the range of options now available there
is no need for women to carry on suffering in silence. For more
information on our urology
services
ENDS
For case studies please contact Hannah
Gee or Sally Gray on 020 8786 3860 or email pressoffice@thelondonclinic.co.uk.
For medical enquiries, please contact Jane
Simpson at info@thelondonclinic.co.uk
References:
1 - Bladder and Bowel Foundation, http://www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org/
- Populus Research interviewed 1040 adults aged 18+ years between
9-22 June 2008. 23% reported a bladder control problem and 11% a
bowel control problem
2–
National Health Service, http://www.nhs.uk/
Notes to editors:
The London Clinic:
- One of the UK’s
most established independent hospitals
- Located on
Harley Street in the heart of London’s medical community
- Long-standing
international reputation attracting leading consultants
- Highly complex
procedures in addition to routine surgery and medicine
- 24 hour
consultant-led Intensive Care Unit