Continence Health - The First Step To Ending Incontinence
Incontinence is coming out of the closet as the Baby Boomers hit their 60s.
Once thought to be embarrassing conversation, now continence problems and their cures are splashed across our TV screens daily with pharmaceutical companies looking to cash in on a big, active lifestyle demographic.
Images of four old guys on a road trip constantly having to stop to pee are resonating with old guys and old gals as well.
But the solution to your continence problem is not covered in a sixty second television commercial.
If you are experiencing incontinence then your first move should be to make an appointment with your physician for a continence assessment exam.
This preliminary exam will consist of an interview and a physical exam and possibly some testing as well.
In fact the process may begin before you set foot in the doctor's office and he or she may very well ask you to keep a bladder diary for two weeks before being seen at the office.
A Bladder diary is in essence a detailed report on your urinary flow.
It will always include the times that you visit the rest room each day and will probably also record the amount and type of fluids that you consumed.
Having a written pattern of your daily passage of urine will give the doctor background on assessing the condition.
At the office you will be asked about your medical history, use of alcohol and caffeine, smoking habits, diet and many other issues that could impact on incontinency.
A general physical exam will follow including a vaginal exam for women and a rectal exam for men.
These exams are done to determine the strength of the abdomen floor muscles and to determine the size of the prostate.
In addition to the physical exam, the doctor may ask for a urine sample for a urinalysis.
Infection in the urinary tract can cause incontinence and a urinalysis is the best way to detect the presence of an infection.
Don't expect an immediate diagnosis on your continence health.
The doctor will probably give you guidance on natural management techniques like diet and exercise and wait to see if that has an impact before going into more advanced diagnostic procedure.
Once thought to be embarrassing conversation, now continence problems and their cures are splashed across our TV screens daily with pharmaceutical companies looking to cash in on a big, active lifestyle demographic.
Images of four old guys on a road trip constantly having to stop to pee are resonating with old guys and old gals as well.
But the solution to your continence problem is not covered in a sixty second television commercial.
If you are experiencing incontinence then your first move should be to make an appointment with your physician for a continence assessment exam.
This preliminary exam will consist of an interview and a physical exam and possibly some testing as well.
In fact the process may begin before you set foot in the doctor's office and he or she may very well ask you to keep a bladder diary for two weeks before being seen at the office.
A Bladder diary is in essence a detailed report on your urinary flow.
It will always include the times that you visit the rest room each day and will probably also record the amount and type of fluids that you consumed.
Having a written pattern of your daily passage of urine will give the doctor background on assessing the condition.
At the office you will be asked about your medical history, use of alcohol and caffeine, smoking habits, diet and many other issues that could impact on incontinency.
A general physical exam will follow including a vaginal exam for women and a rectal exam for men.
These exams are done to determine the strength of the abdomen floor muscles and to determine the size of the prostate.
In addition to the physical exam, the doctor may ask for a urine sample for a urinalysis.
Infection in the urinary tract can cause incontinence and a urinalysis is the best way to detect the presence of an infection.
Don't expect an immediate diagnosis on your continence health.
The doctor will probably give you guidance on natural management techniques like diet and exercise and wait to see if that has an impact before going into more advanced diagnostic procedure.
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