Maintaining the waterworks of women
What are we talking about?
The waterworks of women obviously consist of the kidneys which produce the urine, the ureters which lead the urine down to the bladder and the urethra which leads from the bladder to the outside
As in men these are very close to the reproductive system and although men usually only have one condition connected with the reproductive system namely prostate disease women can have a range of problems associated with the urinary system and the reproductive system, but the focus of this briefing is primarily on the waterworks.
What are the effects of ageing?
The bladder, and even more important the muscle that surrounds the urethra, the tube connecting the bladder to the outside world change with age and get weaker but ageing by itself, and this is one of our core principles, is not a problem or cause of major problems until the late nineties. What many women have to put up with is very often the consequence of childbirth.
The urethra passes through a layer of muscle to reach the outside world and this muscle called the perineal muscle is one of the means of keeping the urethra closed so that urine only passes when it is meant to. The urethra is a tiny tube and the perineal muscle is usually well able to control it but unfortunately also something that passes through the perineal muscle is the foetus emerging to become a baby and not surprisingly this can do damage to the muscle and it is this damage to the muscle that is the principle cause of dribbling and incontinence of both urine and faeces in later years.
What can be done to maintain and improve fitness?
Like any muscle the muscle of the perineal floor can regain strength, at any age and to do this requires the muscle to be encouraged to exercise, to be active. The particular exercises for the perineal muscle that have shown to be effective all these years were developed by an American gynaecologist called Kegel and the Kegel exercises are widely accepted and summarised below in this extract from the health advice given by the Mayo Clinic
How to do Kegel exercisesTo get started:
There is an Kegel organisation committed to helping women with this problem, also named after the famous Dr Kegel
What can you do to minimise the effect of ageing and living longer?
When there has been specific damage to the perineal muscles exercise can help regain strength. The other factor that is important is weight control whereas obesity can also weaken the pelvic floor so keeping active and keeping your weight constant or reducing it is one thing you can do to help the muscles of the pelvic floor
Who is there to turn to?
The general practitioner is the first person to turn to, but district nurses also have a very important role to play particularly with older people whose problems are often combined with mobility and getting to the toilet in time. All gynaecology services have a department for women with urinary problems in which the gynaecologist and physiotherapist work together to analyse the cause of the problem and the best action to take
Maintaining the waterworks of women
What are we talking about?
The waterworks of women obviously consist of the kidneys which produce the urine, the ureters which lead the urine down to the bladder and the urethra which leads from the bladder to the outside
As in men these are very close to the reproductive system and although men usually only have one condition connected with the reproductive system namely prostate disease women can have a range of problems associated with the urinary system and the reproductive system, but the focus of this briefing is primarily on the waterworks.
What are the effects of ageing?
The bladder, and even more important the muscle that surrounds the urethra, the tube connecting the bladder to the outside world change with age and get weaker but ageing by itself, and this is one of our core principles, is not a problem or cause of major problems until the late nineties. What many women have to put up with is very often the consequence of childbirth.
The urethra passes through a layer of muscle to reach the outside world and this muscle called the perineal muscle is one of the means of keeping the urethra closed so that urine only passes when it is meant to. The urethra is a tiny tube and the perineal muscle is usually well able to control it but unfortunately also something that passes through the perineal muscle is the foetus emerging to become a baby and not surprisingly this can do damage to the muscle and it is this damage to the muscle that is the principle cause of dribbling and incontinence of both urine and faeces in later years.
What can be done to maintain and improve fitness?
Like any muscle the muscle of the perineal floor can regain strength, at any age and to do this requires the muscle to be encouraged to exercise, to be active. The particular exercises for the perineal muscle that have shown to be effective all these years were developed by an American gynaecologist called Kegel and the Kegel exercises are widely accepted and summarised below in this extract from the health advice given by the Mayo Clinic
How to do Kegel exercisesTo get started:
- Find the right muscles. To identify your pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream. Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles you can do the exercises in any position, although you might find it easiest to do them lying down at first.
- Perfect your technique. To do Kegels, imagine you are sitting on a marble and tighten your pelvic muscles as if you're lifting the marble. Try it for three seconds at a time, then relax for a count of three.
- Maintain your focus. For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
- Repeat three times a day. Aim for at least three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions a day.
There is an Kegel organisation committed to helping women with this problem, also named after the famous Dr Kegel
What can you do to minimise the effect of ageing and living longer?
When there has been specific damage to the perineal muscles exercise can help regain strength. The other factor that is important is weight control whereas obesity can also weaken the pelvic floor so keeping active and keeping your weight constant or reducing it is one thing you can do to help the muscles of the pelvic floor
Who is there to turn to?
The general practitioner is the first person to turn to, but district nurses also have a very important role to play particularly with older people whose problems are often combined with mobility and getting to the toilet in time. All gynaecology services have a department for women with urinary problems in which the gynaecologist and physiotherapist work together to analyse the cause of the problem and the best action to take