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Health Forum Tackles Bladder Problems
By Dorothy Brotherton
 Published in Westside
Weekly on November 16, 2005
If you panic when you see an "out of order" sign
on a public washroom, you may be among the one in five Canadians over age 35
who suffer from overactive bladder problems. If you spend the last half of
an important meeting antsy over when you can get to a washroom, or get up several
times at night to urinate, or leak when you sneeze or laugh, talk to your doctor.
It affects both men and women, but predominantly women, according to Dr. John
Warner, a urologist from the Fraser Health Authority who spoke last week to
a Kelowna forum called, With Women in Mind.
Often people are too embarrassed
to discuss bladder problems with a doctor, and pharmacists find themselves
in the first line of defense.
Judy Bedford, who with her husband, Wes, operates
Peachland Pharmacy, said people suffering from these problems are often first
detected by a pharmacist.
"People come looking for proper, inconspicuous,
incontinence products to wear," said Bedford. "We do a lot of referrals
to doctors."
The symptoms of overactive bladder are divided mainly into
urge incontinence and stress incontinence.
Urge incontinence means, "When
you have to go, you have to go," said
Warner. "It can interfere with daily activities."
It is treated with
surgery when severe enough.
Stress incontinence means urine leaks when you cough,
laugh, or exercise, and involves frequent trips to the washroom.. It can be
treated with medication.
The problem is that people exhibit mixed symptoms,
making diagnosis difficult.
But it's not a small problem. In Canada, it affects
1.9 million people. It's found in 20 to 30 per cent of younger women, and in
30 to 50 per cent of older women. But it's not an exclusively women's problem.
On
average, people have symptoms for nine years before seeking medical attention.
The first attack on the problem is usually life-style modification, said Warner.
That means stop smoking, lay off heavy use of caffeine and get more exercise.
Behavioural therapies can help, such as avoiding situations with no access
to washrooms for long periods of time.
A third attack is pelvic floor muscle
toning, (Kegal exercises,) but Warner said, "They won't help a whole lot,
but won't hurt."
Medication can offer significant help, he noted. A drug
call Ditropan XL has shown the most success, and side effects are reduced when
it is given as an extended-release medication.
"People have lost jobs
and lost relationships over this problem. When a medication works, it changes
your life," said Warner.
Dr. Jose Goncalves, a gynecologist from Penticton,
predicted the problem will increase as the older population becomes a bigger
segment of the whole in Canada. In 1990, the over-65 population was 11.5 per
cent, and by 2036 it is projected to be 28.8 per cent.
"Don't live with
the problem," advised Goncalves.
When medication can't help, he suggests
a minimally invasive surgery. He does a procedure that attaches a mesh sling
to cradle the bladder in its proper position.
The women's health forum also
dealt with hormones, aging, hysterectomies and mixing medications. It was hosted
by Candace Newton of Unlocking Secrets for Women, and endorsed by the Interior
Health Authority.
"Our goal has been to bring women and local medical experts
together in one room because access to important health information enables
us to manage our personal health," said Newton.
For more information check www.overactivebladder.ca
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