At WomenShare experiences across the country, women have the opportunity to ask local physicians the questions they would most like answered about pelvic health. Whether in Portland or Minneapolis, there are common questions that women share. Here is a sampling of those questions and the answers doctors provided.
Can heavy, long periods be controlled?
Many women with heavy, long or frequent periods attribute the situation to age and they assume they have to live with it. Other women are reluctant to ask their doctors about excessive menstrual bleeding because they fear they will end up on the path toward hysterectomy. They don't have time in their life to have major surgery and to recover from it.
You do not have to live with excessive menstrual bleeding and you do not have to undergo hysterectomy to control it. Endometrial ablation procedures, like Her Option Cryoablation Therapy from AMS, give you control of menstruation. This therapy exists specifically for excessive menstrual bleeding, is minimally invasive and you likely can be back to your regular activities the next day. Best of all, results of a study show that 96 percent of patients would recommend Her Option to a friend.¹
Ablation procedures are not recommended for everyone. You should talk with your doctor about benefits and risks before moving forward with any treatment plan. For more information on risks,
click here.
Is incontinence a natural part of aging?
Incontinence is not a natural part of aging. Unfortunately, incontinence has somewhat of a cloak of secrecy around it because many women are uncomfortable talking about it. As a result, there is not a lot of awareness around the many treatments available.
Incontinence can almost always be treated, cured or improved. There are many therapies that can make most any incontinence situation better. It is important not to be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about it. Your doctor should know about these therapies and if he or she does not, seek out a new doctor. There are many procedures—like urethral sling procedures—with proven, long-term success.
You do not have to wait until your incontinence grows worse before having it addressed.
How can I use Kegel exercises to their best benefit?
Incontinence and prolapse situations often are related to weakness in pelvic floor muscles. In most instances, the damage to those muscles and nerves occurs during pregnancy and vaginal delivery. But most often the incontinence and prolapse does not emerge immediately because these women are still young. Incontinence and prolapse develop years later.
Like any kind of muscular or physical injury, you are best to rehabilitate your muscles as soon as possible. Performing Kegel exercises during pregnancy and immediately postpartum can restore those pelvic floor muscles and nerves and potentially prevent problems with incontinence and prolapse later in life.
Biofeedback is a tool used by physicians to determine if you are performing Kegel exercises correctly. Biofeedback helps isolate the muscle groups in the pelvis and provides visual and auditory feedback on the activity of the muscles.
