How Serious is It?
‘It’s not that big a problem – it’s not like you die from it’
‘You have to be really ill to see a doctor’
That is how many with urinary incontinence describe their condition. However, if you ask a few more questions, most people with urinary incontinence tell about psychological, practical, sexual and social problems that reduce their life quality.
The psychological nuisances that follow urinary incontinence can be the fear for it being discovered, fear of smelling and the lack of hope of improvement. Almost 3 out of 4 with urinary incontinence experience psychological nuisances.
The practical nuisances consist of extra washing of clothes, bed linen and extra expenses for aid like diapers and sanitary towels.
There are also several problems socially. Many isolate themselves. In everyday life, the fear of ‘leaking’ causes a number of problems. You avoid shopping, heavy lifting, exercising, visiting family and friends and avoid travelling.
Urinary incontinence also affects the women’s sexuality. Problems with pains during intercourse, dryness in the vagina, involuntary urination during intercourse and reduced sexual lust are common with women with urinary incontinence. One in every third women with overactive bladder avoids intercourse because of pain during intercourse and a strong urge to urinate during intercourse. One woman in every four with stress-triggered urinary incontinence avoid intercourse because of problems with ‘leaking’ and fear of smelling of urine. Women who ‘leak’ during intercourse or when they have an orgasm experience this as being very uncomfortable.
It can be hard to talk with your partner or the doctor about these problems and this enhances the problem. It may result in the woman losing lust for sex and avoiding intercourse entirely.
Only on in every five women with urinary incontinence are very satisfied with their sexuality; in comparison, half of women without urinary incontinence are very satisfied with their sexuality.
Here are some typical descriptions from patients with urinary incontinence:
‘When you get up from a chair – you haven’t felt a thing and then it happens just as I get up – now I always carry a diaper.’
‘It’s annoying. It excludes some things. For example, a trip to the cinema – how long is the film? – Can I reach the toilet in time? – Everything has to be calculated from whether you can reach the toilet.’
‘Last Saturday I was with my grandchildren in the swimming bath and 4 times during that hour I had to leave the water to go out to pee. It is not just 2 drops but normal urination every time.’
‘I always wonder where the toilet is. The first thing I do when I arrive at a new place is to find the toilet – just to know. I am beginning to think it is psychological.’