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Many people
suffering from overactive bladder are too shy to get help
and are needlessly living a life of inconvenience and isolation.
The embarrassment
of having an overactive bladder is keeping many sufferers
from seeking medical treatment, according to Diane A. Smith,
RN, at UroHealthcare in Newton Square, Pennsylvania.
Overactive
bladder can have a dramatic effect on the activities of everyday
life, including exercising, sleeping, intimacy, traveling
and social interactions. My sufferers of overactive bladder
become housebound from the fear and embarrassment of having
a wetting accident in public and feel embarrassed and ashamed
of their condition, hesitating to seek medical help.
"It
is crucial that we address the misconceptions surrounding
this condition and encourage patients to speak with their
health care professionals," says Cheryle Gartley, president
of the Simon Foundation for Continence, a non-profit educational
organization providing assistance and support to sufferers
of urinary incontinence. "It is equally important for
physicians and nurses to help educate patients on the full
range of options that are available that can help overactive
bladder sufferers resume control of their lives."
Helpful
tips for opening dialogue with a healthcare provider about
incontinence include:
- Call
ahead. It may make it easier to open discussion about overactive
bladder if the physician knows upfront why you made the
appointment;
- Make
a list of all medications currently being taken and the
symptoms you are experiencing;
- Keep
a diary of bathroom habits, including what, how much and
when you drink, how often you use the bathroom, when you
have accidents and what you were doing before the accidents
occurred.
There
are currently several medications and therapies available
for the treatment of overactive bladder, so people do not
need to suffer in silence.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of May 5, 2002
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