The,Bladder,Urinary,Incontinen health The Bladder - Urinary Incontinence

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Stir the heat in your pelvis or it will leak out, dear one,”Grandmother Growth admonishes. “Clench your pelvic floor muscles; then release!Again, and again, and again. Reclaim your power. Speak your anger instead ofpissing it away. Stand tall and clench those pelvic floor muscles - again - andagain.       “Be at ease, sweet daughter,” Grandmother Growth soothes.“Let your pelvis be at peace. Say ‘no’ out loud so your bladder doesn’t have toscream it. Create your own safety; protect yourself. I am here to help you. Iwill hold your hand.” Step 0.     Do Nothing“Todetermine which type of incontinence a patient has, a doctor must performlengthy and exhaustive tests.”[1]Avoidthe expensive tests needed for a diagnosis of incontinence. You know if youleak, and when. If not, keep a diary. Answer the questions below, and, forsafety sake rule out infection or bleeding with a simple, non-invasive urinetest. Then try the Wise Woman remedies gathered here. Specialists concur that atleast 80% of those with incontinence can regain near normal bladder controlwith life-style changes such as these.[2]Step 1.     Collect Information“There’sno distinct structure around the female urethra. Age weakens all the pelvictissues. So, as you get older, the ‘gasket’ doesn’t work as well. It’s a designflaw.” [Overheard at a medical conference]Incontinenceaffects 10-35% of women globally, including at least 30 million American women.[3] Americansspend over $17 billion a year on incontinence pads and treatments.[4] Urinaryincontinence means leakage of urine. There are several different types ofincontinence, and the cause may be as different as muscle weakness or musclespasms. Stressincontinence is themost common form of incontinence, affecting half of those who leak. Weakness ofthe pelvic floor muscles allows leaking when there is pressure, such as from coughing,sneezing, laughing, exercising, or bending. Herbs and pelvic floor exercisesstrengthen weak muscles, whether from heredity, childbearing, age, or surgery. Urgeincontinence oroveractive bladder is less-well understood. It may be caused by muscle ornerve spasms, inflammation, chronic low-level bladder infections, an enlargedprostate, a fibroid tumor, uncontrolled diabetes, a stroke, even circulatory orneurological problems. The voiding urge is so intense, it is impossible toprevent accidents. Herbs and exercises can relax tension in the nerves andmuscles of the bladder, eliminate infection and counter prostate swelling. Overflowincontinence is aworst-case for men with very enlarged prostates or anyone with uncontrolleddiabetes. Leakage is constant, even after voiding. In addition to exercises andanti-inflammatory herbs, drugs may be needed.Functionalincontinence isexperienced by those with problems such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, multiplesclerosis, or paralysis, who are physically unable to get to the toilet in timeor who fail to get or recognize voiding signals. It may also result from pelvicsurgery or any injury to pelvic nerves or muscles. Pelvic floor exercises andnerve-nourishing herbs (oatstraw, passion flower, skullcap) complement drugsthat can sometimes help.Transientincontinence isusually triggered by a drug or infection and is relieved when the irritant isremoved. Isincontinence linked to age? In men, probably. In women, probably not.Some incontinence is experience by 57% of postmenopausal women and 47% of thoseunder 50.[5] Doeschildbearing cause incontinence? No. A study comparing over a thousandpairs of postmenopausal sisters - one of whom had given birth vaginally and oneof whom had never given birth - found strong concordance within the sisterpairs: their stage and type of prolapse was similar, and there was little differencein the incidence, type, or severity of incontinence.[6] Doesmore weight cause incontinence? Weight makes no significant differencein the likelihood of incontinence.[7],[8] But if youare incontinent, the more you weigh, the worse it will be. Being diabeticincreases risk by as much as 70%.[9],[10] Doesyour heritage contribute to incontinence? Probably. There is growingconsensus that our genes predispose us to incontinence and prolapses, withCaucasian women being more likely than African American or Asian women to haveboth.[11] TheWomen’s Health Initiative found over 66% of 161,861 women aged 50-79 leaked ina given year. The strongest risk factors were age less than 20 at first birth, breastfeedingregardless of duration, and hysterectomy before the age of 40.[12] “Moremoney is spent on menstrual pads for incontinence than for menstruation.”[13] Step 2.     Engage the EnergyLow-intensity behavioral training works as well as surgery - without side effects orcomplications - in relieving both stress and urge incontinence.[14] Six weekly 20-minutesessions help everyone reduce accidents by at least 50%; a third becomecompletely dry after keeping a diary of voids and leaks, learning Kegelexercises, and training themselves to wait longer and longer between voiding.  Ifyour incontinence leaves you feeling ashamed and embarrassed and reluctant to be social, remember, you are notalone. And there are treatments. A dose of 10-20 drops of calming motherwort tincture may make it easier to take action. Timedurination - voiding regularly on a schedule - helps elderly, frail, orforgetful people get to the toilet before it’s too late. Functional magnetic stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles, delivered by means of a specialchair, is used in Holland as a safe, effective treatment against stress andurge incontinence. After two 20-minute treatments per week for eight weeks, 58%of the women had less leakage, and three were completely dry.[15] Homeopathicremedies for bladder problems cover fourteen pages in my Homeopathic ClinicalRepertory. I have listed some here: §       Achillea mill.:when there is chronic incontinence§       Juniper. com.:to ease bladder heaviness, especially in age§       Rhus aromatica or Agrimony: to relieveconstant dribbling§       Nux vomica: if there is pain in the bladder§       Thuja or Claviceps pur.: tostrengthen the bladder§      Uranium nitricum: if there is burning pain onvoiding “The detrusor muscle is comparable to thebulbous end of the baster, reflexively contracting when nerves fire in themuscle. In order for the urinary system to function in a controlled way, themuscles must be strong, the nerves must be in good order, and the bladderitself must be in good physical condition.”[16] Step 3.     Nourish and TonifyNourishthe bladder with apricots, blueberries, brown rice, beans, celery,corn,cranberries, lentils, miso, parsley, and prunes. Seaweedsnourish and heal the muscles, nerves, and mucosa of the entire urinary system:the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Kelps such as wakame, kombu,alaria, and nereocystis (bull whip), eaten in quantity, are most effective.Sprinkling seaweed on food and taking pills of seaweed is far less effective.  Nourishand strengthen bladder muscles with 2-4 cups of comfrey or nettle leaf infusion daily; add a pinch ofsilica-rich horsetail for even more effect. Soothe bladder mucosa with adropperful (1-3 times a day) of tinctureof burdock root/seed, cleaversherb, or marshmallow root;use teas of corn silk, plantain seed, or mullein. Dandelionroot/leaf tea or tincture tonesand tightens bladder sphincters, while regular use of small (5-19 drop) dosesof the tincture of passion flower, oatstraw, orskullcap strengthens the nerves of the bladder. Areview of randomized trials comparing pelvic floor exercises/Kegels withno treatment or a sham treatment, found that women who did Kegels (at least 40a day for three or more months) were all, unlike those receiving othertreatments, able to control or cure stress, urge, and mixed incontinence.[17] And women whowere coached got the best results of all. Dr. Kegel advised five clenches onawakening, abed, five more when up, then five every half-hour throughout theday.  Avoidbladder irritants. Food additives, preservatives, artificial sweeteners,coffee, alcohol, pepper, curry, black tea, tomatoes, citrus, parsley juice, andsoda pop are common culprits, but you may have individual triggers.[18] Ifincontinence makes you reluctant to be passionately sexual for fear you’ll wet the bed, invest in a waterproof pad,please! Yellow dockroot gently aids bowel movements, helping to prevent pressure on thepelvic floor from constipation. Tea of the root is too bitter for most, whoprefer a dropperful of the tincture. Yoga,Pilates, weight lifting, and tai chi build core strength and tone up tinymuscles in the pelvis that help you stay in control. Step 4.     Stimulate/SedateTincturesof strong herbs - such as damiana leaf (Turnera ulmifolia), kavakava, uva ursi leaf, blackhaw or cramp bark - in doses ranging from 1-8 droppersful a day, havebeen used more or less successfully to counter incontinence. Step 5.     Use DrugsAwide range of drugs - diuretics, sedatives, antidepressants, antihistamines,calcium channel blockers, and alpha-blockers - can cause or worsenincontinence.[19]Ifyour doctor says hormone replacement (ERT or HRT) can prevent or relieveincontinence, s/he’s wrong. HRT increases the risk that a healthy woman willbecome incontinent, and makes the symptoms worse in women who already are.[20]TheWomen’s Health Initiative randomly assigned more than 27,000 postmenopausalwomen to take either hormones or placebos. The incidence, frequency, andseverity of all types of incontinence  (defined as having “ever leaked even a verysmall amount of urine involuntarily”) increased significantly in womentaking ERT or HRT.[21],[22],[23]The results were the same in all racial and ethnic groups[24],and were not linked to prior incontinence; longer use increased risk. In HERS (Hormone and EstrogenReplacement Study), half of the women who took HRT developed incontinence,compared to a third of those who took the placebo. After only one year, therisk of weekly episodes of incontinence was three times greater among hormoneusers; after four years it was five time higher.[25]Drugshave side effects. Research them carefully before use. After 3-4 months, gowithout to see if you still need the drug.  Step 6.     Break and Enter“Inaddition to being risky, surgery can cause significant discomfort - and itisn’t always effective [in treating urinary incontinence].”[26] Mildelectrical shocks, delivered in a clinic or at home with a prescription device,can relieve both urge and stress incontinence.[27]The current provokes involuntary muscle contractions, which, over a period ofmonths of daily treatments, has the same effect as Kegels: strengthening of thebladder’s muscles and nerves. FDA-approvedUrgent PC Neuromodulation looks like acupuncture. A needle inserted nearthe ankle stimulates a bladder-controlling nerve that goes up the leg to thepelvis. Twelve 30-minute sessions reduced leakage by at least half for mostparticipants.[28]  Legal Disclaimer: Thiscontent is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Anysuggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cureor prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and useshould be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcarepractitioner with a specific formula for you. All material in this article isprovided for general information purposes only and should not be consideredmedical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner ifyou are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a secondopinion.   Susun WeedPO Box 64Woodstock, NY 12498Fax: 1-845-246-8081 VisitSusun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com[1] “Many effective treatments forurinary incontinence,” HealthNews, Aug 2006.[2] “Urinary incontinence treatmentsthat work,” J.Vapnek MD, Bottom Line Health, 2007.[3] “Stem cells muscle in on bladdercontrol,  New Scientist, Dec 2004.[4] “Incontinence and women: usuallycurable, often ignored,” Leah Thayer, Women’s Health Network News, Sept/Oct2002.[5] “Regain Control,” Sarah Toland,Delicious Living, Jan 2005.[6] “Kegels hold up as urinarycontinence treatment,” Harvard Women’s Health Watch, May 2006.[7] “Pelvic organ prolapse can run inthe family, Harvard Women’s Health Watch, May 2007.[8] International Urogynecology Journal,Oct 2006.[9] (2) HealthNews, Aug 2006.[10] Ibid, HealthNews, Aug 2006.[11] “Pelvic organ prolapse,” Buchsbaumet al., Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dec 2006; 108:1388-93.[12] “Prevalence and associated riskfactors of urinary incontinence: results from the Women’s Health Initiative,”WHI Investigator Group, Abstracts: Twelfth Annual Meeting of NAMS.[13] Nicolette Horbach MD, pastpresident,  American UrogynecologicSociety, associate clinical professor of Ob/Gyn.[14] “Simpler solutions forincontinence,” HealthNews, Sept 2002.[15] “Magnetic chair, spinal nervestimulation help incontinence,” BJU International, March 2004.[16] Winnifred B. Cutler, PhD,Hysterectomy: Before & After, Harper Perennial, 1990.[17] (7) Harvard Women’s Health Watch,May 2006.[18] “‘Gotta go, gotta go?’ Tips to helpcontrol overactive bladder,” Environmental Nutrition, Aug 2003.[19] “When nature calls too often,” TheJohns Hopkins Medical Letter, Nov 2006.[20] Hormones can worsen and causeincontinence, HealthFacts, March 2005.[21] “Urinary Incontinence — One More PurportedBenefit of Hormone Therapy Disproved,” New England Journal of Medicine’sJournal Watch,  April 15, 2005.[22] “The Prevalence and Associated RiskFactors of Urinary Incontinence: Results From the Women’s Health Initiative,”Abstracts: Twelfth Annual Meeting of NAMS.[23] “Hormone Therapy Increases the Riskof Urinary Incontinence,” National Women’s Health Network, July/Aug 2005.[24] JAMA, Feb 23, 2005; 293:935-9048.[25] “Urinary incontinence risk increasedwith hormone therapy,” presented at American College of Obstetricians andGynecologists conference, April 2003.[26] “Stem cells muscle in on bladdercontrol,” New Scientist, Dec 2004.[27] “Oopsie daisy,” Ranit Mishori MD,AARP, July/Aug 2006.[28] Ibid, AARP, 2006.