Incontinence

Article: Fecal Incontinence

Admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:50:21 GMT

Fecal Incontinence

In 1985, while giving birth to her son, Nancy Norton received a fourth-degree laceration of her external sphincter muscle. Since that injury, Norton has managed her own fecal incontinence—the involuntary leaking of stool.

“Within an instant my life had changed dramatically and I had no idea how I was going to get through life with fecal incontinence,” recalls Norton, who in 1991 founded the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) to address the lack of public information on fecal incontinence.

This article continues at Fecal Incontinence

Article: Elderly Urinary Incontinence

Admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:38:26 GMT

Elderly Urinary Incontinence

For many people, a trip to the bathroom is something they can easily delay. But for roughly 13 million Americans who suffer from urinary incontinence-the involuntary leaking of urine-holding it in isn't an option.

Although incontinence can happen at any age, it is more common in older adults. According to the National Association for Continence, one in five individuals over the age of 40 suffer from overactive bladder or urgency or frequency symptoms, some of whom leak urine before reaching a restroom. In the nursing home population, at least 50 percent of residents have elderly urinary incontinence.

"Incontinence is a common part of aging but it is never normal," says Dr. Lisa Rosenberg, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh's geriatric department. "Because it is so common, people think that they should accept it. In almost all cases, it is something a well-trained physician or nurse practitioner can help with. We can actually cure most of those people."

This article continues at Elderly Urinary Incontinence.

Five Stages

belinda b — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:04:53 GMT

There are five stages of INCONTINENCE: Urinary- They are Stress, Urge, Overflow, Mixed, Functional, Gross Total. you can learn what each one is on the Mayo Clinic website. Urinary incontinence is a serious matter, you need to have it checked because it could be an indicator of an underlying serious medical condition. If it affects the quality of your LIFE, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR, it may save your life!

Belinda Battistelli

Eldercare Advisor

Panel: One-quarter of adults to suffer incontinence

JohnT — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:41:14 GMT

Up to 25% of adults will experience incontinence at some point in their life, but fewer than half of those affected will report their symptoms to a doctor, according to a government panel. More than half of the nursing home population suffers from some form of incontinence, government figures show.

Incontinence in seniors with dementia is often a major factor in placing them in a care facility, panelists said Wednesday while releasing their report. They added that many instances of incontinence in non-dementia patients are the result of understaffing: Some seniors simply cannot get to the bathroom in time.

Urinary incontinence is the most common type, affecting over 20 million women and 6 million men, twice as many people as previously thought, according to the experts. Because of the stigma of fecal incontinence, it is not as widely studied. Panelists estimated that 5% of the general public and up to 39% of nursing home residents will experience fecal incontinence. The risk of incontinence rises with weight and with age, and women are at a greater risk of being affected.The National Institutes of Health convened the panel.