Handling Life’s Changes By Talking With Friends (NAPSA)—From girlhood to womanhood, women have always relied on the experience and advice of their good friends—especially when it comes to dealing with their changing bodies. Based on a survey conducted by PorsE Brand, light bladder leakage may be the exception. Eight in 10 women say they would be embarrassed to talk about light bladder leakage with their friends, but that may be because they don’t realize how commonit really is. One in four women experiences light bladder leakage at times, and many women have found effective ways to manageit. The most commontypesof light bladder leakage happen when women laugh, cough, sneeze, exercise, jump, lift or make other movements that put pressure on their bladders. More than 50 percentof firsttime pregnant moms and up to 85 percent of second-timers develop temporary, light bladder leakage— usually in their third trimester when the baby’s growth acceler- ates, causing the uterus to press almost continuously against the bladder. Besides pregnancy and childbirth, common causes of leakage are losing estrogen during menopause, being overweight, urinary tract and bladder infections, conditions that cause chronic coughing such as bronchitis and asthma and the side effects of some drugs. Here are a few steps women can take, whether the condition is chronic or temporary: Check your diet. Some women find that if they lose weight and avoid certain foods Lo? } One in four women experiences light bladder leakage, and many use absorbent liners and pads, designed specifically to protect against such leakage. that might irritate the bladder, they see an improvement. These foods include caffeine, alcohol, tomato-based products, acidic juices and spicy foods. Talk to your doctor. Ask about solutions such as biofeedback, bladder retraining, medication and surgery. Light bladder leakage can often be managed through pelvic floor or Kegel exercises or through medical treatments. * Use absorbent products designed for bladder protection. Period-only pads are not designed for light bladder leakage. Absorbent liners and pads, such as those made by POolsE, are designed specifically for this condition and can provide discreet protection against wetness and leaks and neutralize odor. The products range from very light to ultimate absorbency. For more information, talk to your doctor or visit www.poise.com.
