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Bladder & Bowel Archive
Articles
When your bladder keeps you up at night
Having your sleep interrupted by the need to urinate (the medical term is nocturia) is a common cause of sleep loss, especially among older adults. Nearly two-thirds of adults ages 55 to 84 deal with this problem at least a few nights per week.
People with mild cases may wake two times a night; in severe cases, it may be as many as five or six times. The result can be significant sleep loss and daytime fatigue.
Ask the doctor: Health benefits of probiotics
Q. Would you suggest I try taking a probiotic supplement for general colon health? I have a sensitive stomach and sometimes suffer from constipation.
A. Probiotics, the beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines and assist in digestion, have gained a lot of support lately. Each week, a new study appears describing health benefits or diseases associated with changes in the so-called microbiome—the diverse community of microorganisms each of us carries inside our body. Still, the benefits of adding probiotics to the intestinal tract are uncertain.
Probiotics have proved helpful in situations where the body's normal, healthy bacteria have been destroyed, such as after taking a powerful antibiotic. Small studies in people with irritable bowel syndrome have suggested that taking probiotics improves pain and diarrhea. The benefit in constipation is less certain, but it's reasonable for you to try taking a probiotic if you are interested.
Pelvic organ prolapse: You're not alone
Exchanging information with friends is one way to remove the stigma of pelvic organ prolapse. Image: Thinkstock |
Few women realize how common pelvic prolapse is—and how easily treated. Here are five things you should know.
Full bladder wakes women more often than thought
Two in three women over age 40 wake up at least once each night because of a full bladder, and nearly half make two or more nighttime trips to the bathroom. But only a quarter of women who get up to urinate during the night say they are bothered by having to do so.
That's the finding from a survey of more than 2,000 northern California women ages 40 and older. Factors that increased the likelihood that a woman woke at night to urinate included older age, past hysterectomy, hot flashes, and use of vaginal estrogen. However, the late-night bathroom breaks weren't caused by an overactive bladder or stress incontinence. The results were published in the January 2015 issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Stay a step ahead of urinary tract infections
Drink plenty of fluids to help flush out bacteria in the urinary tract. Drink enough each day so that your urine is almost clear in color. Image: Thinkstock |
Keep hydrated, and empty your bladder often to stave off these risky infections.
Overcoming urinary leakage
Image: Thinkstock |
Simple strategies can help you regain control.
As men age, the simple act of urinating can get complicated. Prostate surgery often leaves men vulnerable to leakage when they cough, sneeze, or just rise from a chair. Or the bladder may become impatient, suddenly demanding that you find a bathroom right now. "Thousands of years ago, it was not as much of an issue," observes Dr. Anurag Das, a urologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "There were lots of trees, and you could just find one and go."
But tricky bladders can be whipped into shape. The first step is a careful assessment of what triggers those difficult moments. Then your doctor can suggest helpful strategies and possibly medication to improve urinary control.
New approach is successful in treating antibiotic-resistant diarrhea
Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital have used capsules containing frozen fecal extracts from healthy people to successfully treat diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria (called C. diff for short), which has been developing increasing resistance to antibiotic treatment. The report was published online on Oct. 11, 2014, in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
People who are already being treated with antibiotics in hospitals are prone to antibiotic-resistant C. diff infections. Antibiotic treatment often wipes out populations of beneficial intestinal bacteria, making it easier for C. diff to take hold in the colon, where it creates toxins that cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. Because antibiotic treatments are usually ineffective, diarrhea may last for weeks and pose serious risks.
Pill-free ways to fight urinary incontinence
New guidelines recommend solutions that don't require medication.
Illustration: Scott Leighton To perform a Kegel, squeeze the muscles you would use to start and stop urination or hold in a bowel movement. Hold the contraction for five seconds, then release. Try to do three sets of 10 Kegel exercises a day. |
Try medication first for urinary woes
Image: Thinkstock Either medication or surgery can help with symptoms like an uncontrollable urge to urinate. |
Give it ample time to work before considering surgery.
The "other" incontinence — don't suffer in silence
Most people who are suffer from fecal incontinence do so in silence. As a result, the number of people with the condition — which results in the involuntary release of gas or stool — isn't known. But the scant evidence at hand indicates that it usually begins during one's 40s or 50s.
You don't have to live with incontinence — there are treatment options, which include dietary changes and bowel training regimens, and surgery for some people.
Recent Blog Articles
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?
Your amazing parathyroid glands
When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?
Co-regulation: Helping children and teens navigate big emotions
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
Will miscarriage care remain available?
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