Incontinence doesn't have to keep you home

Nov. 28, 2011 - PRLog -- 46% of Women with Urinary Incontinence Report Decreased Sexual Desire
•   Urgency Urinary Incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine and is more prevalent than Diabetes Mellitus, Severe Depression and Asthma.  
•   This Syndrome is a medical condition that can be treated with medications able to control involuntary contractions in the bladder such as Tolterodine, marketed under the name DETRUSITOL SR®

The Caribbean, October 2011- It is estimated that during 2013, 500 million people around the world will suffer from Overactive Bladder.    The Overactive Bladder Syndrome produces a sudden urgency to urinate, and if it is not treated in a timely manner it could cause Urinary Incontinence (UI). In addition, this condition usually stops people from getting to the bathroom on time, thus causing accidents, and often means having to get up several times during the night to go to the bathroom.  
The prevalence of UI is more common in women than men and it is estimated that after 40 years of age the bladder contracts more than usual thus causing an increase in cases starting between the ages of 60 and 80.   Many women believe this to be normal and therefore don’t get any help. However, this has an effect over their self-esteem, physical, social and psychological quality of life and in their sexual capacity.  
Urinary incontinence interferes with daily routines, having to get up at night reduces the vitality levels, plus depression rates of up to 42% have been found in patients with urgency or mixed incontinence and up to 46% of women say that the incontinence has represented an adverse effect on their sexual relations.  
Some of the factors described as originating this problem can be urinary tract infections, malignant bladder changes, gall stones (commonly known as stones), inflammation, diabetes, drinking too much liquid and pregnancy.


Main Symptoms of an Overactive Bladder
•   Sleep interruption
It causes having to get up several times during the night, which powers the problem, diminishes productivity, levels of vitality and increases the risk of accidents.

•   Effects over mental health
There is mainly evidence between 14 and 60% of depression.  It also causes feelings of guilt and shame. The discomforts of this pathology can have a severe effect on self esteem, while at the same time limiting personal development.

•   Effects on Work
It prevents the development of normal work routines. There are productivity losses of up to 8 hours a week, which is equivalent to one day of work.  

Treatment
Pfizer has developed Detrusitol SR® for all of these patients; it is a medication designed to treat the overactive bladder, with symptoms of urinary urgency with or without incontinence, with a high safety profile significantly improving the quality of life and sexual function.  
It also reduces the episodes of UI by 60% in the first week  and reduces the amount of adverse events as compared with other medications.

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