Don’t be embarrassed, be educated

A recent study commissioned by the Continence Foundation of Australia reveals 4.8 million Australians are incontinent, and many feel the topic is still “too embarrassing” to discuss.

However, the problem not only exists in Australia; it is a common, global belief as one grows older; control over their bladder and bowel movement will diminish over time. Though most physicians would advise you to ‘drink less water’ and stop worrying, Indian Urogynecologist, Dr Karthik Gunasekaran, disagrees.

“Most people over 50 years of age are probably suffering from incontinence but are not aware that such a problem exists,” Dr Gunasekaran says.

To most people, the idea of incontinence would seem like a “family secret”, he says. “It’s something that you rarely want to get out beyond the room with the bed-pans, but it is a prevalent problem. About 40 to 70% of the populace can be suffering, but don’t know what to do about it,” he claims.

To combat this social and physical problem, Dr Gunasekaran is all set to launch the Continence Support Group in India at the end of this week. It is a non-profit initiative that is looking to aid, treat, sensitise and teach people about the existence of continence.

“After losing control of the urinary or bowel movements, people wait for anywhere between three to seven years before deciding to get specialist help.

“Thankfully, people are waking up to the reality that the social stigma of accepting that ‘you have an issue holding your excreta aside’ is a real problem but can be cured.

“From hardly three patients per week in 2004, we have about 150 patients coming in a month. Truly the wheels are in motion,” he reveals.

Incontinence is the result of damage to pelvic floor muscles commonly triggered by anything from old age to constipation. Globally, it is estimated more than 50% of women experience this issue at some point, but can recover quickly if they experience the problem when they are young.

When asked about the awareness level in India, Dr Gunasekaran claims there have been no studies in the continence field; meaning there are no statistics to show people how common it is. “This is a major problem that is preventing our awareness drive,” he says.

He hopes to change this with the initiative that will first begin with a publicity drive working through healthcare professionals and a free helpline that will be set up, and efforts will be made to have it declared a public health issue.

“We are hoping that someday, the (Indian) government includes it in their health insurance schemes so more people can benefit,” he adds.

Registrations are now open for the 20th National Conference on Incontinence in Melbourne, showcasing the latest research in incontinence, featuring a number of renowned international leaders. Early bird registration for members and non-members closes Friday, 16 September 2011.