MCMpartners with
SolisWomen’s Health
It’s not normal, but it is very common.
At some point in her life, about 1 out of
every women will leak urine when she
laughs, sneezes, coughs, exercises or moves
in some way.
Doctors call this stress incontinence. It
happens when pelvic floor muscles (which
support your bladder and urethra) be-
come weak or damaged, often because of
pregnancy, childbirth or changes caused
by menopause.
These weak pelvic muscles may let
urine escape when something—even a
laugh you can’t hold back—puts pressure
on your bladder.
Stress incontinence is treatable. That’s
why it’s so important to tell your doctor
that you leak urine, especially if it limits
how you live your life—for example, if
you’re afraid to exercise because you’re
worried that you might have an accident.
Chances are your doctor will do a pelvic
exam and other tests to see exactly what’s
causing your incontinence. Depending on
those triggers, he or she may recommend
treatments such as:
Lifestyle changes.
Dropping extra
pounds (if you’re overweight) and stop-
ping smoking (if you smoke) can help with
bladder control.
Bladder training.
Timed urination—
emptying your bladder every one to two
hours while you’re awake—can help you
have fewer accidents.
Kegel exercises.
These exercises tone
pelvic floor muscles. Your doctor can tell
you how to do them.
A pessary.
Your doctor might insert
this ring-shaped device into your vagina
to help prevent urine from leaking.
Surgery.
If conservative treatments
don’t help, surgery may be an option.
You imagined you’d be getting to know your baby in a place
that is entirely familiar—your home. But your baby was born
prematurely. And now your newborn’s nursery isn’t the one
you so carefully prepared. It is our neonatal intensive care
unit, or NICU.
Rest assured that your baby is in the very best hands with
our round-the-clock, specialized care. Our expert neonatolo-
gists, pediatricians, nurses, respiratory therapists and other
professionals will do everything within their means to help
your baby become healthy and strong.
Still, as essential as our NICU is for your baby, you may
find it intimidating or even frightening. When you enter it,
you’re surrounded by high-tech equipment. Your baby may
need a ventilator to breathe or a feeding tube for nourish-
ment. You may face a flurry of activity. You might even hear
alarms going off and wonder if your baby is OK.
Anytime you’re concerned—even slightly—speak up. Our
staff welcomes your questions. We know that you are absorb-
ing a flood of information about your baby’s condition. And
we want you to understand what is happening to your baby
and how we are helping. We care about your peace of mind.
We strongly encourage you to help care for your baby.
Spend as much time with your son or daughter in our NICU
as you can. Even if your baby is not yet stable and can’t be
held, touch your baby often. As soon as your baby’s doctor
advises, feed your baby. Do all that you can for your newborn,
from changing diapers to tucking in blankets.
If you are uncertain about how to care for your baby, our
nurses will guide you. You are vital to your baby’s growth
and healing. And we will support you in every way we can.
When
your
baby is
in the
NICU
At a glance:
Urinary incontinence
Pregnancy. Vaginal deliveries. Menopause. The female anatomy itself.
All of these make women vulnerable to a common—and bothersome—condition:
urinary incontinence (UI). In fact, women are twice as likely as men to experience the
involuntary passing of urine—the main symptom of UI.
There are many types of UI. How do you know if you have one? This chart can help.
So, if you leak when you laugh or frequently lose your race to the restroom, don’t
despair—every type of UI is treatable. Share your symptoms with your doctor. Depend-
ing on your diagnosis, solutions such as biofeedback, bladder retraining, Kegel exer-
cises or medications might work. Surgery is another option—but many women improve
without it.
Sources: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Urogynecologic Society; National Institutes of Health
YOU MIGHT HAVE:
IF YOU HAVE:
Stress incontinence
■
Urine leaking when you cough, exercise, laugh or do other
physical activities.
Urge incontinence
■
Urine leaking unexpectedly (for example, before you can
reach the toilet or during sleep).
Combination
incontinence
■
Mixed symptoms, most often of stress and urge
incontinence.
Overactive bladder
■
A pressing need to urinate.
■
To make eight or more trips to the restroom in 24 hours.
■
A need to void that awakens you more than twice
each night.
■
Urge incontinence.
Overflow incontinence
(more common in men)
■
Small amounts of urine leaking unexpectedly (for ex-
ample, when your bladder is full or after you’ve voided).
Functional
incontinence
■
A physical disability or a neurologic difficulty that keeps
you from reaching the toilet in time.
Transient incontinence
■
Leakage caused by temporary changes (a new medicine,
a urinary tract infection or a cough from a cold).
Medical Center of McKinney (MCM)
partnered with Solis Women’s Health,
an experienced and highly regarded
mammography provider in the DFW
Metroplex, to provide mammography
for its women’s imaging
patients.
Solis Mammography,
a department of Medi-
cal Center of McKinney,
will remain in its current
location at 201 Medical
Center Drive, Suite 100.
Its radiologists and technologists are
dedicated breast imaging specialists with
years of experience.
MCM women’s imaging patients will
find the mammography experience at the
Solis Mammography to be
the same level of profes-
sionalism and compassion
they have come to expect
from MCM.
To make an ap-
pointment, please
call
- -
.
Your questions
answered
I leak urine when I laugh—
is that normal for a woman
to do?
Alok Jain, MD,
Medical Director,
NICU
2
W W W. M E D I C A L C E N T E R O F M C K I N N E Y. C O M
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