Incontinence is one of those embarrassing topics nobody likes to discuss, even with our doctors. But did you know that experts estimate approximately 50% of women and 30% of men have had bladder problems at least once in their life? With such an uncomfortable topic of conversation, it’s no surprise that there are so many misconceptions about conditions like Urge Incontinence ( Overactive Bladder). Read on to see if you’ve fallen for these 5 tall tales:
1. FALSE: Going to the bathroom all the time is a normal part of getting older.
TRUE: Overactive bladder – also known as urge incontinence – may become more common as people get older, but you can have an overactive bladder at any age. Constantly needing to use the bathroom is not normal, and shouldn’t be accepted as a part of everyday life.
2. FALSE: You’re the only one having trouble making it to the bathroom in time.
TRUE: Good news – you’re far from alone. Approximately 13 million American adults suffer from urge incontinence. For a variety of medical reasons, someone with urge incontinence may have trouble controlling the sudden, strong urge to urinate. If a bathroom is too far away when the urge hits, they may have an accident.
3. FALSE: To avoid a bladder accident, you should go to the bathroom every chance you get.
TRUE: If you’ve ever had a bladder accident, it’s understandable why you’d want to go to the bathroom frequently, “just in case.” But since urge incontinence often has nothing to do with the volume of urine, emptying your bladder doesn’t actually help – and may in fact hurt. Not only are you visiting the bathroom more frequently, you’re slowly retraining your bladder to hold less urine, and you’re teaching your nervous system that it doesn’t need to “warn” you when you need to urinate.
4. FALSE: The only reason you’re going so much is because you have a tiny bladder.
TRUE: The average bladder holds 350-550 milliliters of urine, with most people starting to feel the urge to go around 200-250ml. Sudden, strong urges to urinate are usually caused by involuntary bladder contractions, not because your bladder is too small or because you drank too much fluid. There are many medical conditions that can interfere with normal bladder control, including neurological disorders—such as multiple sclerosis or stroke—which cause faulty signals between the brain and bladder.
5. FALSE: To control overactive bladder, you should cut back on the amount of fluids you drink.
TRUE: Cutting back drastically on how much water you drink isn’t healthy, period. Our bodies are made up of more than 60% water, and our blood is composed of 92% water, and limiting fluid consumption can take a toll on all of your organs, including your heart, skin, kidneys and brain. Besides – although you’ll make less urine, it will have a higher concentration of uric acid, and thus be more irritating to the bladder. Strangely enough, drinking too little water might actually make you need to urinate more often! Most adults should aim to drink six to eight cups of fluids throughout the day.
For CNN’s list of Top 10 Myths About Overactive Bladder, go to http://bit.ly/V4Hvce.
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