We’re back with one of our favorite topic of urinary incontinence. But this time is different. Urinary incontinence is going to be one of your favorite topics after this blog because we’re going to discuss the newest treatment for urinary incontinence!
*Crowd goes wild*
What does urinary incontinence even really mean? It is just when a little pee comes out every once in awhile unwillingly, right? Well, you’re not totally wrong, but urinary incontinence is much more than that.
Female urinary incontinence is a symptom of an underlying problem. To break it down for you, our organs are held perfectly in place by the muscles in our pelvic floor (thank you muscles). But what happens over time is the weakening of those muscles from birthing, non-use of those muscles, and playing sports which cause uncontrollable bladder leakage.
Fun fact: There are high incidents of urinary incontinence in female collegiate athletes due to muscle over-tension or repetitive impact which puts a significant strain on a young woman’s pelvic floor.
Picture laying in a loose hammock for example. Anytime you move on the hammock, it loses shape and is hard for you to control your balance which ultimately causes you to move positions. Those things are so tricky it takes more work than it’s worth to even try to lay on it.
Anyways, back to what I was saying. When our organs shift due to our weakened pelvic floor, those organs descend their weight which places pressure onto our bladder. That pressure results in what is commonly known as stress urinary incontinence; leaks from movement like a cough, laugh or sneeze.
When those muscles contract occasionally, often due to muscle inactivity, the contraction produces an urgent need to empty the bladder. That urgency results in involuntary leaks which cause “Over-Active-Bladder” (OAB) or “urge” urinary incontinence. You may be experiencing either stress or urge urinary incontinence, or a person may experience both which is known as mixed urinary incontinence.
Now that our quick vocabulary lesson is over with (which hopefully helped), let’s find out what is going to help urinary incontinence. Data suggests pelvic floor muscle tone can be regained for women of virtually any age or size.
While there are many women incontinence treatment options out there to regain muscle in your pelvic floor, it can be difficult to choose which option is going to work best for you. Some of the treatments I am going to discuss aren’t necessarily treatments, but rather a quick fix that does not benefit you in the long run. But in the end, I am going to discuss the newest treatment for urinary incontinence that is going to give you a long time fix.
Pads or Adult Diapers
Alright, let’s not beat around the bush here. Adult diapers, really? No one should be in adult diapers until it comes to the point where it is extremely difficult to get to a toilet. But unfortunately, women wear them to absorb their uncontrollable bladder leakage.
This is one of the more popular treatments because pads are readily available in all supermarkets and convenience stores. But here is what I was talking about when I say this is a “treatment.” This does not fix your problem of urinary incontinence; it hides your problem.
Pads or adult diapers are extremely absorbent and can absorb most leakages throughout the day. Many women like this option because it is basically 24-hour protection, and they can easily carry pads anywhere they go.
However, ladies, as we all know pads, are not comfortable what so ever. Not only does it feel like you have a wedgie 24/7, but pads are also irritating and bulky that can cause rashes due to the urine coming in contact with the skin. As if that isn’t bad enough, there can be smells associated with pads or adult diapers just from urine or leakage sitting over time.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “I’ll just buy the scented products next time so I don’t have to deal with the smell.” Think again. If you buy the scented products that mask the smell, the chemicals in the fragrance used to do that can lead to skin irritation. Coming from a woman that has dealt with irritation down there more times than I would like to admit, it is incredibly painful; and uncomfortable to even wear underwear or pants in general. So save yourself from this pain and keep reading for better treatment options.
Kegel Exercises
Kegels are simple, pelvic floor exercises that can treat the cause or incontinence by learning to strengthen, or hypertonus (relax) the pelvic floor muscles. You can perform Kegel exercises discreetly at any time by contracting and releasing the pelvic floor muscles. You could even give it a shot right now while reading this. Heck, I just did some while typing this since it was on my mind and they are easy to do.
However, like any exercise, I am not sure if I am performing the exercise correctly. I am not the only one either. A significant number of women run into the same problem where it is difficult to determine if their pelvic floor exercises have been performed correctly – even with the help of a licensed healthcare professional.
It is neither the patients’ or healthcare professional’s fault for failed treatment. Patients can be overwhelmed with emotional issues related to their condition making it difficult for the patient to understand the clear instructions given to them in the healthcare professional’s office.
Unfortunately, it is suggested that the leading reason as to why women do not return for the second visit to their healthcare professional for pelvic floor exercises is because the patient did not understand the instruction.
In fact, it is estimated as high as 70% of women never return due to misunderstanding of instruction which causes them to believe Kegel exercises are a lot of work, take too much concentration, are a waste of time, and that Kegel exercises are simply ineffective.
I get where these women are coming from. Any exercise is only as safe and effective if the right procedures are followed and maintained. Women lead extremely busy lives so Kegel exercises eventually get tossed to the back of our heads and are forgotten about. Even though Kegel exercises are forgotten about, no one can forget about the involuntarily leakage they are dealing with on a day-to-day basis.
Pessary
If you’re like me and never heard of a pessary before, do not fear I got you covered. Not only did I do some extensive research on it for you guys, I also got a handful of opinions on it.
A pessary is an option that doctors turn to when the pelvic floor and other muscles below the bladder need more support, especially when Kegels are not working. A pessary can come in all different shapes and sizes, but it usually comes in the form of a ring. It is typically made of silicon and you must go to your doctor to get it fit to your pelvic floor. The support this device lends to the pelvic floor muscles help women who experience stress incontinence, or leakage while coughing, laughing and jumping.
While pessary can give a lot of support to the pelvic floor, it requires at least one doctor visit to get fitted, and depending on the pessary, you may need to visit the doctor every few months for removal and cleaning. A pessary simply acts as a support to the pelvic floor so essentially it does not strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to function any better. Once again, is this really a long term “treatment?”
Now that you just briefly learned what a pessary is, it does not seem all too bad. Yet, here is what you do not know. It is suggested that the pessary should be taken out daily for cleaning. Women, we all know how important it is to maintain the pH balance of the vagina so keeping your vagina clean is EXTREMELY important. That is why you need to constantly clean the pessary, which means you need to insert and retract it yourself. I do not know about you, but I prefer to not dig around in my vagina daily.
Not only do you need to take the pessary out daily for cleaning, but let’s talk about getting intimate with your partner. It is up to your partner whether or not the pessary bothers them during intercourse. But let’s say it does. Although I do not have first-hand experience with it, I am almost 100% certain if I am getting intimate with my partner and I have to stop and go take out my pessary, it is just going to kill the mood completely.
Last but not least, let’s talk about when you are having bowel movement while the pessary is inserted inside of you. It is not uncommon for the pessary to fall out when you are pooping, so it is suggested to check the toilet before you flush.
I am cringing at the thought of looking into the toilet to see my pessary floating with my poop. But wait it gets worse. You need to fish the pessary out before you flush!!! Like no way in hell am I putting my hand in there to get that pessary, let alone inserting it back into my vagina after it was with my poop. There are steps to sanitize the pessary if this incident were to happen, but I think I am just going to pass on the whole pessary thing overall.
Catheter, Surgery, Medication
If a woman continues to experience incontinence, doctors might start to look at more invasive treatments. This can include injections around the urethra to support those muscles, as well as inserting a catheter to drain the bladder completely. Some women may also need to have surgery to repair weak bladders, or to reposition the bladder to urethra in the pelvic region. These treatments are typically for advanced and persistent incontinence.
For me, surgery will be my last ditch effort to fix my urinary incontinence. It can be expensive, and all surgeries have their risks. So like I keep saying, not the ideal “treatment.”
But I am finally to the point where I can confidently tell you what the newest treatment for urinary incontinence is. I also think it is the best treatment, but hey, personal opinion. Anyways, that newest treatment is called Yarlap®!!
Yarlap®
Yarlap® is the latest in women’s incontinence treatment and technology. It is designed for women who seek an easy, discreet, and effective way to strengthen their pelvic floors and reduce leakage.
Yarlap® is a Kegel trainer that does the workout for you. It takes the guesswork out of Kegels. You simply plug the stimulator into the Yarlap® unit, pick the right program for you, then insert the stimulator into your vagina. With AutoKegel® Technology, it then stimulates and tones your pelvic floor muscles without you having to do the work.
With the use of Yarlap’s® AutoKegel® technology, it sends precise instructions to the muscles using a mild impulse to work/rest the pelvic floor muscles correctly, comfortably, safely and conveniently. With Yarlap® and its AutoKegel® technology, there is no minimum muscle control necessary to start, there is no need to concentrate on the routine, and there is no guessing as to what are the proper muscles to contract and for how long; with Yarlap®, the work-outs for strength or massage are pre-set. As such, the Yarlap® is appropriate for women of virtually any age or size. It can even lead to improved sexual performance. We have customers reporting improved sexual performance and expression even into their 80’s using the Yarlap®.
Yarlap® is FDA cleared that includes 6 clinically-proven programs, which means you can gain control of your incontinence and pick a plan that is perfect for you. In just 20 minutes a day, 3-5 times per week, you can strengthen your pelvic floor and reduce leakage. There is no hiding what is going on or delaying the effects or urinary incontinence. It is an almost immediate solution with results in as little as 2 weeks of use.
