Pelvic floor training also good for men

Incontinence: Women should not go jogging

09/05/2012

Long walks, long car rides, a relaxed theater visit - for people who suffer from bladder weakness, almost unthinkable. Although an estimated five million people in Germany suffer from mild to severe urinary incontinence, few seek medical advice. It is advisable to go to the urologist at the first sign of bladder weakness. Remaining urine remains in the bladder, which gives bacteria a good breeding ground and sometimes leads to painful inflammation.

While women with abnormal urinary frequency often urinary or bladder infections caused by bacterial pathogens, increased bladder pressure in men often indicates a benign enlargement of the prostate. About every second man suffers over 50 years. But also functional disorders such as overactive bladder or kidney disease come as a cause of frequent urinary urgency in both sexes in question. Especially in men, the so-called urge incontinence is the most common type of incontinence. An uncontrollable contraction of the bladder muscle then leads to involuntary loss of urine. Young women in turn often suffer from so-called stress incontinence. Here, urine is when coughing, laughing, sneezing, getting up with a full bladder, during sports, lifting, so with physical stress. „A comprehensive clarification of the medical history as well as urine and ultrasound examinations provide information about possible organic causes“, says Dr. Reinhold Schaefer. In addition, urologists create a fluid balance for two to three weeks, the so-called micturition protocol. Urine analyzes also provide important indications of possible kidney diseases, which can also cause frequent urinary urgency.

Depending on the nature and severity of the disease, urologists rely on various measures. Drug therapies are an effective treatment option for bladder infections, overactive bladder or benign prostate enlargement. Even surgical interventions, which today are often minimally invasive and therefore very gentle, are used. Experts also recommend exercises such as regular pelvic floor training to strengthen the bladder sphincter - for women and men. Women with stress incontinence should also refrain from jogging. For example, a woman who jogs 3-4 times a week puts enormous strain on her pelvic floor. What else anyone can do even against incontinence: avoid overweight, provide a lot of exercise and enjoy alcohol only moderately. For all measures, the earlier the treatment starts, the more successful the therapy. However, going to a specialist is important for the sole purpose of differentiating benign prostate enlargement from possible prostate cancer in men. (Pm)