NIDDK Publishes Resources about Bladder Problems
Women with bladder control problems can learn about treatments
and techniques to help them manage their condition in a new resource
from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
(NKUDIC), an information dissemination service of the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),
one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Urinary incontinence
is a problem for millions of women. Contrary to some beliefs,
the problem is not limited to older women. As many as three
quarters of women in the United States report at least some urinary
leakage at some point in their lives, and studies consistently
find that 20 to 50 percent report more frequent leakage, according
to the 2007 NIDDK report Urologic Diseases in America.
Despite the negative impact urinary incontinence can have on quality
of life, embarrassment often keeps women from seeking help. The
introductory booklet What I need to know about Bladder Control
for Women prepares women to talk about the problem with a
health care provider and includes a worksheet and bladder diary
they can complete before their medical appointment. The booklet
also includes a tip sheet and log for performing pelvic muscle
exercises and a list of bladder control medicines doctors might
prescribe, along with their side effects.
The publication incorporates useful information and tools from
the NIDDK's Let's Talk About Bladder Control for Women
series into one comprehensive resource. Readers no longer
need to order multiple publications. All of NIDDK's
Bladder Control for Women materials are available online at www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/bladdercontrol/index.htm.
In addition to the bladder control booklet, the NKUDIC has a new
fact sheet about the opposite problem — urinary retention. Urinary
retention is the inability to empty the bladder completely. Unlike
urinary incontinence, urinary retention is more common in men than
women because of prostate enlargement. However, women can
experience urinary retention if the bladder or lower part of the
colon sags or moves out of its normal position.
Both publications, Urinary Retention and What I need
to know about Bladder Control for Women, are available on
the NKUDIC Web site at www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov. To
view them online, go to the A to Z list of kidney and urologic
topics and titles and click on U for urinary retention, or B
for bladder control, or W for What I need to know about Bladder
Control for Women. To order a copy, click on "Order
Publications" and then on "Kidney and Urologic Diseases
Materials."
The A to Z list includes all Clearinghouse publications in alphabetical
order. Publications also can be ordered by calling the Clearinghouse
at 1–800–860–8747 or writing to the NKUDIC at
3 Information Way, Bethesda, Md. 20892–3580. Single
copies of NKUDIC publications are free. Packets of 25 copies
of booklets and fact sheets cost $10 and $5, respectively, to cover
shipping and handling.
The NKUDIC was created in 1987 to increase knowledge and understanding
about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system among people
with these conditions and their families, health care professionals,
and the general public. To carry out this mission, the NKUDIC
works closely with a coordinating panel of representatives from
federal agencies; national voluntary organizations; professional
groups; and state health departments to identify and respond to
information needs about kidney and urologic diseases.
The NIDDK, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts
and supports research on diabetes; endocrine and metabolic diseases;
digestive diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic
and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine
and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases
encompass some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions
affecting Americans. For more information about
NIDDK and its programs, see www.niddk.nih.gov
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov. |