Re: My Mom's Bladder / Bowel / Incontinence Issues

Actually, your mom sounds like she has a couple of issues going on.

A simple question to answer is that, yes, the doctor is correct that extra fat in the abdomen does create pressure on the bladder and cause a sensation that she needs to urinate. Some research studies have shown that as little as 5 lbs. of extra abdominal fat has this effect.

I know a therapist who calls the need to urinate as soon as your mom gets back from a walk "key in the door" incontinence--as soon as she gets the key in the door, so to speak, that triggers an overwhelming urge to go. It is a very real phenomenon.

Kegel exercises only work for 40% of women who try them, so I do not put much stock in them.

However, walking helps, because it helps to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. If she is motivated to address the problem, she can work on increasing her bladder's capacity--have her keep a log of how frequently she urinates, and see if she can stretch out the time by 15 more minutes every few days until she can just go every 2-3 hours.

Hope this helps.


Tweet