Search Here

For women, 18 and older (and for children four years and younger) bladder leakage, (or in the latter's case 'wetting the bed') is a fairly common occurrence and while it affects millions of people it should not be left untreated.

 It is no secret that women, on average, use the bathroom more frequently than men. Most women who have problems with frequent urination usually do not know that they may have a form of incontinence or bladder issues.

Urinary Incontinence or bladder leakage is frequent with women who had abortions, are or were pregnant, going through menopause or women who are obese.  

It's a common and often embarrassing problem that many patients don't bring up with their doctors - and when they do, it may be mentioned as a casual side note during a visit for more pressing medical issues.

Previous studies have found that 10 to 40 percent of women older than 18 years old - and as many as 53 percent of those over 50 - are affected by urinary incontinence

According to an article published in the Journal of Family Practice, Women should tell their doctor if they are unable to hold their bladder for long when experiencing the sensation of having to urinate and/or tell them if they experience moderate to heavy leakage when exercising, coughing, sneezing, etc.

There are ways physicians can deal with this issue, even though most doctors believe that it is a permanent symptom of either of any of the causes listed above.

However, Abigail Lowether M.D. one of the primary authors of the study warns that, if left untreated, bladder weakness it may get worse with time and lead to more restrictions.

"We want to emphasize to women that this is not something they have to live with, that they should tell their primary care physicians about their symptoms," Lowther says. "We also want to remind physicians that simple interventions can go a long way towards improving this problem for patients." 

If you are experiencing bladder issues, keep a diary of when you drink, how long after your beverage is consumed do you need to urinate, and how many times a day in total did you pee. This log than can be used by your doctor will have some information to make any further evaluations.