Toward optimal health: approaching the issue of incontinence with patients and actively managing the condition.

摘要

Urinary incontinence (UI) is typically viewed as a nuisance of aging, but its effects on women's lives can be profound. Usually a physiological dysfunction, it can cause women to restrict their activities of daily living, including physical activity, increases the risk of falls (when rushing to the bathroom), and often leads to withdrawal from social contact. The medical fallout from these lifestyle limits can have a significant adverse effect on overall health. There is also the possibility that complaints of incontinence may be a precursor for diabetes or multiple sclerosis. Why then does this female-specific medical condition get so little attention from women and you, their healthcare providers?