As many as 2 million Polish women suffer from urinary incontinence problems. At the same time, this disorder is so embarrassing that only 5-15 percent. patients informs the doctor about it – specialists alerted at the Wednesday press conference in Warsaw.
Meanwhile, as noted by the obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Robert Bartkowiak from the Medical University of Warsaw, urinary incontinence (NTM) can and must be treated. Thanks to this, it is possible to limit the destructive impact of this disease on the patient’s psyche, the quality of her life, professional and social activity, or intercourse with a partner.
At the conference, an educational campaign on urinary incontinence under the slogan No shame about NTM was launched and a new preparation from the group of the so-called dietary supplements, which, as confirmed by clinical trials, work after a few weeks of taking.
As Dr. hab. Piotr I. Roszkowski, gynecologist and obstetrician of the Medical University of Warsaw, urinary incontinence (NTM) is the involuntary leakage of urine, day or night. This disorder is associated with frequent visits to the toilet, difficulty in maintaining hygiene, the need to use sanitary napkins and even diaper pants and the associated unpleasant smell. This leads to hygiene, social and social problems.
According to Dr. Roszkowski, statistics show that NTM affects, regardless of ethnic and cultural differences, 5 percent. general population – 28 percent. women and 10 percent. men. Therefore, it meets the criteria of diseases of a social nature.
As much as 40 percent. of women with NTM admit that the incident of involuntary urination happens to them at least once a month in troublesome situations, such as visiting friends, the way to work or shopping – emphasized the doctor. From 10 to 60 percent of the patients believe that this disease has changed their lifestyle, e.g. frequent sitting at home, avoiding social gatherings for fear of being ridiculed, a decrease in physical activity and involvement in sports – mentioned Dr. Roszkowski. About 14 percent. NTM patients hindered their further professional development and career. 40-50 percent admit to a decrease in sexual satisfaction. women with this disorder, and 25 percent. avoids contact with a partner.
As noted by Dr. Roszkowski, there is currently no well-documented concept of the causes of urinary incontinence in women. The condition can occur at any age and can be caused by a variety of factors, including surgery, childbirth and the aging process. It is known that NTM is primarily at risk for women who have given birth naturally, especially repeatedly. During childbirth, the muscles and ligaments that support the bladder may be damaged. Obese women are also in the group most at risk of NTM, as fatty bowels are heavier and put more pressure on the bladder and women undergoing menopause and the associated hormonal changes (estrogen deficiency) caused by the cessation of ovarian function.
According to Dr. Bartkowiak, the method of NTM treatment is selected depending on the form of the disease and its severity. As the gynecologist reminded, the majority, i.e. 50 percent. patients with NTM suffer from the so-called the stress form, which consists in incontinence of urine during exercise, e.g. when coughing, lifting, laughing, climbing stairs. It is the result of relaxation, stretching or damage to the pelvic floor muscles, including the urethral sphincters. About 14 percent. sick has the so-called an urgent form of NTM, which is based on too much contraction of the bladder muscle known as a urinary detrusor. The rest of the patients suffer from mixed form of NTM or other, less common forms of this disorder.
Exercise plays an important role in both stress and urgent NTM – in the first case, these are pelvic floor exercises, in the second – bladder exercises by urinating only at specified intervals. Stress NTM also uses means that seal the opening of the urethra and surgical treatment, but only in patients who have real indications for it. Surgical treatment of NTM is effective, but it is expensive and not reimbursed by the National Health Fund.
Urgent NTM is usually administered with drugs that inhibit detrusor stimulation, tricyclic antidepressants and estrogens in postmenopausal patients. But, according to Dr. Bartkowiak, these drugs have various side effects.
The new preparation for the treatment of NTM contains substances of natural origin, including pumpkin seed extract and phytoestrogens, i.e. plant compounds that mimic the action of female sex hormones – estrogens.
Tests conducted in a group of Japanese NTM patients have shown that the preparation is safe, well tolerated and clearly reduces the number of incontinence episodes after 6 weeks of using it. The first signs of improvement in the health of patients can be observed after just three weeks. Importantly, the supplement works both in stress and in the urgent form of NTM, noted Dr. Bartkowiak. It can be used in the treatment of NTM alone or as a supplement with other methods, even in patients awaiting surgery. Its advantage is its affordable price – monthly therapy costs PLN 60, while in conventional therapy these costs are about PLN 200. (PAP)
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