Here is a great article from a great doctor. Dr. Muir is a specialist in Urogynecology and the Medical Director for the Pelvic Health and Continence Center.

“I laughed so hard I wet my pants”
“I can’t jump on a trampoline or I will leak.”
“Old age brings with it a return to diapers.”

The bladder is part of our body that we ignore for most of our lives…until something goes wrong. A guaranteed laugh in a movie is “bathroom humor.” The reason it is so funny is that so many people can relate!

Bladder problems can come in many varieties- from frequent infections/bladder pain to leaking urine (incontinence) and/or making frequent, urgent trips to the bathroom both day and night (overactive bladder). A common misconception this that bladder problems are a “normal” part of aging.

Bladder infections occur 50 times more frequently in women than in men. Women have an anatomic disadvantage by being born with a short urethra (the tube that drains the bladder). The bacteria that cause infections can easily traverse the short urethra and multiply in the bladder. Important health tips to avoid infection include:

1. Drink more water during the day. This serves to dilute and flush out the bacteria.
2. Avoid long periods of time without emptying your bladder (except at night)- Emptying the bladder every 3-4 hours helps to flush out the bacteria before they can invade in large quantity.
3. Empty your bladder after sex.

If the infections continue despite good bladder habits, see a specialist- like a urogynecologist or urologist- to discuss ways to prevent or manage your infections.

Urinary leakage or incontinence is very common! Some women feel like they are the only ones in the world with a leak with cough, laugh, sneeze, or urgency. Many women will avoid activities that lead to leakage (such as exercise, jumping on a trampoline, running after children or grandchildren). Approximately one third of all menstrual pads sold are used for incontinence (not to mention the pads specifically made for incontinence protection!). Women often put up with the leak and continue to take care of their children, job, aging parents, or aging spouse and never take time to take care of themselves. There is a lot that can be done to correct the leak- from physical therapy to medications to day surgery.

The bladder is something that we would like to ignore, however when it sends you hurrying to the bathroom several times during the day or night, a person begins to feel chained to the bathroom. Overactive bladder (characterized by needing to go to the bathroom all the time (day or night)) affects up to 1 in 3 adults in this country. When the bladder starts running your life, it can be very depressing! We are used to being in charge of the bladder, not the other way around. People with overactive bladder often know where every bathroom is. They will also start to avoid certain activities that make it difficult to get to the bathroom in a hurry such as travel, movies, even church. Again, there are many treatment options. Sometimes it is as simple as avoiding bladder irritants, such as caffeine (see a complete list here). Evaluation and treatment can release you from your chains!

Don’t let your bladder rob you of life! Take care of yourself so that you can enjoy each day to the fullest. To schedule an appointment to see one of our bladder specialists, contact us at the: Pelvic Health and Continence Center (832)-505-1600.

Click image to visit site

Between helping patients and opening their beautiful new clinic in the Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes, the physicians and staff of the Pelvic Health and Continence Center have been developing a new web site. The effort aims to introduce themselves and their services; one of their key objectives is to let patients know that some of the pain and embarrassing problems that have been accepted as “part of life”—can be addressed and treated. They help restore freedom and quality of life for their patients, in an environment that is soothing, comfortable, and completely focused on the needs of those in their care. The web site is a work in progress; they welcome questions, feedback, and ideas.

Dr. Tristi Muir

UTMB’s Dr. Tristi Muir, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and the director of urogynecology, will be featured on tonight’s KTRK-TV (Ch. 13) 10 p.m. newscast. The topic is “Sex in the Middle Ages,” dealing with midlife and menopause. Dr Muir serves as medical director for the Pelvic Health and Continence Center at the Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes.

She received her medical degree from Mayo Medical School in 1993, completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Scott and White Hospital, and then completed a 3-year fellowship in urogynecology and reconstructive surgery at The Cleveland Clinic. Concurrently, Dr. Muir received fellowship training in advanced laparoscopy. She’s board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and was elected to the AOA Medical Honor Society in 1997.  She joined UTMB in 2008 and is now leading a great team at Victory Lakes.

We’ve come a long way since women’s pelvic conditions were dismissed with a blush as “female troubles.” Or have we? A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that pelvic problems plague nearly one in four women older than age 20. But all too often women put off calling their doctors for these conditions, often out of embarrassment.

The women in the JAMA study complained of incontinence—leaking urine, and, less commonly, feces—and pelvic organ prolapse. Prolapse is the falling of pelvic organs into the vagina. Women may also suffer pelvic pain. Treatments exist for all of these problems, and the team at UTMB’s Pelvic Health and Continence Center can help end the suffering and discomfort.