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For years, Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Mary Lou Retton suffered with a serious health condition known as overactive bladder (OAB). She would run to the bathroom up to 25 times a day and constantly worry that she wouldn't make it to a bathroom in time. Like many others, she found ways to cope, such as limiting how much water she drank, before finally talking to her doctor about her secret.
Now, Mary Lou is encouraging others to speak out about their OAB as part of a nationwide educational initiative called Life Beyond the Bathroom™. This campaign is designed to help raise awareness about OAB, and to motivate those who may have symptoms similar to Mary Lou's to talk to their doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
"When I finally spoke with my doctor, she assured me that this is a real medical condition, that I didn't get it from gymnastics or having kids, and most importantly, that there was something I could do about it. She prescribed DETROL LA, which has helped reduce the number of times I run to the bathroom, resulting in my getting back to the activities I enjoy and reducing some of that worry about accidents."
An estimated 33 million American men and women over the age of 18 suffer from OAB, a serious medical condition associated with involuntary contractions of the bladder muscle. A person with overactive bladder will feel a sudden and sometimes overwhelming urge to urinate (urgency). This is because the bladder muscle squeezes or contracts at a small volume and without the normal warning signals that capacity is being reached. This usually results in more frequent urination (frequency), and sometimes, wetting accidents (urge incontinence).
Dr. Pamela Ellsworth, chief of the division of urology at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital agrees that measures such as limiting fluid intake are not typically effective ways to treat OAB. "Many people may be unaware that there are effective treatments available," she said. "We need to encourage discussion about bladder health so that no one suffers from this condition in silence. That's why it's great to see someone like Mary Lou talking openly about her experience, helping people to both recognize the symptoms of overactive bladder and encouraging them to bring it up with their physicians."
Mary Lou is currently taking the Life Beyond the Bathroom campaign on the road, traveling to malls across the country to share her personal story. Along with Dr. Ellsworth, she'll talk to thousands of Americans who may be spending far too much of their lives looking for the nearest restroom, as she once did.
Additional information about Life Beyond the Bathroom can be found at www.lifebeyondthebathroom.com or by calling 1-888-968-2424. -NU |
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