By C. William Fisher, DO, Innovative Therapies
I have been seeing and hearing advertisements for women’s products that address urinary leaking embarrassment. The ads claim that this problem is a part of every woman’s life; it is unavoidable and simply needs to be managed. I am happy to state that there are other options. There are medical treatments for this condition, but the laser is my favorite.
As a physician, I have seen many of my patients struggle with this issue. It plagues not only older women, but also young ones. Giving birth to children can cause weakness in the vaginal and bladder areas, resulting in urinary leaking upon coughing, sneezing, and exercising, commonly known as stress urinary incontinence. Let’s explore the cause of this, and then the good news of new treatments available.
As a woman ages, she experiences changes in hormone levels and a natural decrease in collagen production. This leads to a shrinking of the tissues around the urethra, leading to a loosening of the bladder neck which contributes to urinary leakage. Additionally, younger women experience leakage, as well as vaginal laxity (or looseness) after childbirth that occurs from the tissues being stretched and not completely recovering their initial state.
So, what can a woman do about these issues? Contrary to feminine hygiene ads, she is NOT left with just “living with it.” If she does not wish to undergo the surgical treatment options, she can choose vaginal laser rejuvenation. There are several lasers that address this problem, but my favorite is the Alma Femilift. The treatment is performed in three sessions that are done one month apart. They require no downtime or recovery other than vaginal rest for 72 hours after. There is no need for anesthesia, the treatments take 20 minutes to perform, and the results are simply incredible. Additional benefits of the treatment include increased lubrication, taking the discomfort out of intimacy for the
post-menopausal woman, or for the female cancer survivor.
Having delivered hundreds of babies and treating family practice patients in my practice, I can sincerely say that being able to offer a treatment for this seldom-discussed but very prevalent condition is exciting and rewarding. I encourage any woman suffering from these issues to seek solutions rather than responding to those advertisements for products.
For more information, you may reach Dr. Fisher at Innovative Medical Therapies, 123 North Wilmor Road in Washington, or call 309-347-2714.