One in every five women has this "social cancer", so this kind of "social cancer" should be taken seriously!

After a laugh, it brings endless embarrassment. Urinary incontinence, a "social cancer", really spoils the fun. According to reports, the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence among Chinese adult women is as high as 18.9%, and the highest prevalence is in the 50-59 age group, about 28%. Professor Shen Yang, deputy director of the Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University and chief physician of obstetrics and gynecology, reminded that stress urinary incontinence should be taken seriously and diagnosed and treated early.

According to experts, stress urinary incontinence is a common disease. The main symptom is involuntary urine overflow when abdominal pressure increases due to coughing, sneezing, laughing, etc. Adult women are more susceptible to it. This is mainly related to factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, aging, decreased estrogen levels, obesity, constipation, chronic diseases that cause increased abdominal pressure, and a history of pelvic surgery.

It should be noted that urinary incontinence can not only cause embarrassment, but also physical and psychological diseases. Stress urinary incontinence can easily lead to inflammation and infection of the vulvar skin and reproductive urinary system due to urine irritation, and can also cause increased body odor. In severe cases, it affects the patient's life, social life and work, causing great distress to physical and mental health.

Experts say that stress urinary incontinence is divided into three levels: mild, moderate and severe. Mild: no urinary incontinence during general activities and at night, occasional urinary incontinence when abdominal pressure increases, no need to wear a urine pad; moderate: frequent urinary incontinence when abdominal pressure increases and when standing up, need to wear a urine pad; severe: urinary incontinence occurs when standing up or changing lying position, seriously affecting the patient's life and social activities.

How to treat stress urinary incontinence? According to experts, it is mainly divided into non-surgical treatment and surgical treatment. Non-surgical treatment mainly includes lifestyle intervention, bladder training, pelvic floor muscle training, biofeedback, pelvic floor magnetic stimulation, electrical stimulation therapy, chronic diseases with increased abdominal pressure such as constipation, and drug treatment. Patients with urinary incontinence should pay attention to weight loss, especially for those with BMI>30kg/m2, quit smoking, reduce the consumption of caffeinated beverages, reduce fluid intake, maintain good living habits, avoid strong physical labor, avoid or reduce actions that increase abdominal pressure, etc. In addition, attention should be paid to changing urination habits, regulating bladder function, consciously extending the urination interval, and enabling patients to learn to delay urination by suppressing urgency. In non-surgical treatment, Kegel exercises can strengthen the strength and coordination of weak pelvic floor muscles. Continuous muscle training for 3 months can significantly improve pelvic floor function, especially for mild and moderate stress urinary incontinence.

Experts emphasize that non-surgical treatment should be used throughout the treatment for all patients with urinary incontinence. Non-surgical treatment has the advantages of fewer complications and lower risks. It can not only alleviate the patient's urinary incontinence symptoms, but also consolidate the treatment effect in the long term. However, surgical treatment can be chosen for patients with poor response to non-surgical treatment or poor compliance, severe stress urinary incontinence, or with significant pelvic organ prolapse and need for pelvic floor repair.

Experts pointed out that there are many surgical methods, and the current "gold standard" procedure is still the tension-free mid-urethral suspension, which includes two technical routes: transvaginal retropubic route tension-free mid-urethral suspension and transvaginal obturator route tension-free mid-urethral suspension. This procedure only requires two 5 mm incisions on the body surface, and the suspension belt is placed in the mid-urethra to strengthen the support around the urethra and bladder neck to achieve the treatment purpose. It has the advantages of less trauma, shorter time, faster recovery and significant effect.

Experts remind that when urinary incontinence occurs, do not be overly nervous, but pay attention to it. It is recommended to go to a regular hospital specialist for health consultation and professional evaluation to accurately analyze the causes, classifications, and grading of urinary incontinence, and to carry out corresponding treatment according to different causes and properties.

Correspondents: Gu Xiaoxia, Liu Min

Reporter: Yang Yu