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Urinary Incontinence: How Your Doctor Can Help

Summary & Participants

When people start having the symptoms of urinary incontinence, they're often too embarrassed to talk about it, even with their doctors. But incontinence isn't something you have to live with, and a simple doctor's visit can make a big difference. Join our experts as they discuss the importance of diagnosing incontinence and treating it.

Medically Reviewed On: June 30, 2008

Webcast Transcript

MABEL JONG: Hello, everyone. Welcome to our webcast. I'm Mabel Jong. When people start having the symptoms of urinary incontinence, they're often too embarrassed to talk about it, even with their doctors. But incontinence isn't something you have to live with. And a simple doctor's visit can make a big difference.

Joining me to discuss the importance of diagnosing incontinence and how it's done are Dr. David Chaikin, Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Dr. Jonathan Vapnek, Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology and Director of Neurourology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Gentlemen, thanks for being on the program.

DAVID CHAIKIN, MD: Thank you.

JONATHAN VAPNEK, MD: Sure.

MABEL JONG: First of all, having bladder problems can be a very embarrassing topic to talk about, but what is your recommendation, Dr. Vapnek, on getting these patients to come out with some of the details of the condition.

JONATHAN VAPNEK, MD: I think the patients need to realize that it is not a normal part of aging and that despite the fact that some of their family members or even a family physician may have told them that it's okay, that it's really not okay and that they do need to seek help.

MABEL JONG: Can you describe some of the more common symptoms?

JONATHAN VAPNEK, MD: Well, one of the problems patients may have is the overactive bladder symptom complex which is urgency, frequency and perhaps getting up at night. Another type of incontinence would be stress incontinence when patients leak urine when they cough or sneeze. And either one or both of those can lead someone to come into the doctor's office.

MABEL JONG: Dr. Chaikin, what specifically should a patient do in advance of the visit to talk with you about this condition?

DAVID CHAIKIN, MD: I think it's really important for a patient to realize what their symptoms are. In other words, to think about what's bothering them the most so that when they see the doctor that they can be able to articulate it as well as they can. So for instance, if a patient is complaining of urinary urgency -- in other words, they just get this sudden urge to go, whether or not they can make it to the toilet or not, that that's a serious -- that's a significant symptom and can be treated.

Another thing that's very successful the patient and helpful is to complete a voiding diary. That's simply just a 24-hour chart of how often they go to bathroom, perhaps even to write down how much volume they void or urinate at that time, and what types of symptoms they are experiencing. In other words, if they got an urge to go at the same time, or whether or not they got up in the middle of the night in order to urinate.

MABEL JONG: Do you see that some patients adjust their behavior because they have this condition?

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