One-quarter to one-third of people in the U.S. struggle with urinary incontinence. Despite the prevalence of bladder problems, there’s a massive information gap.
Since November is National Bladder Health Awareness month, now is the perfect time to learn more about the importance of your bladder health. Today, conditions like incontinence and overactive bladder are taking the spotlight, spreading awareness and encouraging people living with bladder to feel confident in themselves.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into the National Association for Continence, its mission, and how the company is sparking conversations around bladder health:
Bladder Health Awareness Month
The first thing to recognize is that bladder conditions are widespread. Let’s take a look at the stats:
- An estimated 12 million Americans have Interstitial Cystitis
- Approximately 81,000 Americans get diagnosed with bladder cancer per year
- Over 13 million US adults struggle with some degree of incontinence
- Up to 33 million Americans experience overactive bladder
Therefore, no one should feel embarrassed for struggling with bladder issues, especially when seeking medical help. Connecting with a healthcare provider can help you manage these issues while increasing your quality of life.
Besides this, it’s an excellent idea to learn more about several common bladder and bowel conditions, such as:
- Bladder Cancer: A common type of cancer, bladder cancer occurs in your cells and can cause blood in your urine. Therefore, it is easier to diagnose and manage.
- Incontinence: Refers to a lack of control over urine storage and release. People with urinary incontinence may experience varying symptoms, from slight leakage to total emptying of the bladder.
- Interstitial Cystitis: IC is a painful bladder syndrome that can cause bladder pressure, pain, and pelvic pain. It can also disrupt the signals sent from nerves of your bladder to your brain, causing the urge to urinate often with smaller volumes.
- Overactive Bladder: OAB is the sudden urge to urinate with the loss of urine. It also involves the need to urinate over eight times within 24 hours. It can cause you to awaken multiple times during the night, which lowers your sleep quality.
The National Association For Continence
As we mentioned, urinary incontinence is a common yet less talked about bladder condition. However, the National Association for Continence (NAFC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading awareness to improve the life quality of people with urinary incontinence.
NAFC’s mission is to become the leading source for accurate public education and advocate for the causes, prevention, treatments, and diagnosis of incontinence. The company focuses on de-stigmatizing incontinence and provides services for those struggling with these conditions.
Life Without Leaks Podcast
Life without Leaks is a podcast series by the National Association for Continence created to spread awareness about bladder and bowel disorders.
The podcast features discussions with professional physicians, therapeutic innovators, and patients navigating their conditions. That way, it provides tips for better management, insights on state-of-the-art medical devices, and stories to offer hope and confidence to people struggling with similar issues.
You can listen to “Life Without Leaks” by visiting NAFC’s website or on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Living With Bladder Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is due to an overactive bladder that causes urine leakage and is a common problem for both men and women in America. Not only is urinary incontinence a medical issue. It may impact social, psychological, and emotional health. Urinary incontinence sufferers frequently experience anxiety when performing routine everyday tasks. They prefer to be close to a bathroom. People with urinary incontinence may find it difficult to enjoy life.
Moreover, women face urinary incontinence twice as men. As we age, weakness in our bladder and urine sphincter muscles becomes common and can lead to sudden and frequent urogenital urges. Even though incontinence is more prevalent in older persons, it is a specific aspect of aging.
Furthermore, obese people often experience urinary incontinence. It is because extra body fat strains the bladder, which can cause urine leakage when exercising, sneezing, or coughing. Although incontinence is not a common side effect of sports, jumping, running, and other activities that strain the bladder rapidly can occasionally result in incontinence episodes.
However, there are ways to manage urinary incontinence:
- Adopt a daily stretching and exercise plan to help with pain relief.
- Reduce tension to unwind your body and mind.
- Watch your diet and avoid meals and drinks like coffee, spicy foods, sweet things, and fried, fatty foods that might irritate the bladder.
Furthermore, before your situation worsens, make an appointment with your doctor to develop a management or treatment plan.
Summary
Urinary incontinence is affecting millions of people worldwide. National Association for Continence strives hard to help people with urinary incontinence. Their website assists if you are experiencing urinary incontinence. However, if you are searching for quality incontinence products, check Active Life Medical Products.
How Active Life Medical Products Can Help With Incontinence Supplies
You need a trusted incontinence product supplier when you require incontinence supplies. Active Life Medical Products makes ordering the entire incontinence supply process easy. Our Product Specialists can help you get your prescribed incontinence supplies covered through most insurances. Everything will be delivered directly and discreetly to your front door.
Call Active Life Medical Products at (800) 319-2336 to place your order.
