VALLEY DENTAL CLINIC Dr. Gordon Levin DMD Dentist
NEW PATIENTS WELCOME Please see our YouTube Video: “How We Made Our Dental Office Completely Safe for Patients and Staff “ https://youtu.be/tMvTDHfTP10 Qualified Dentist American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
# 101-321 Festubert St Duncan, British Columbia V9L 3T1 250-746-9697
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ound familiar? Bad news now you’re not a kid and you’re wearing white jeans. The other bad news is urinary incontinence is very common and the five most frequent causes can be very complex to sort out. The good news is there are effective treatments, and UI is almost never a sign of something seriously wrong with your health. The common theme in all incontinence cases is loss of teamwork – the bladder and the sphincter form a dynamic duo, supporting each other in the two major functions of the bladder: storage and emptying. In storage mode, whether on a trampoline in the park or a washroom line up at the opera, the bladder muscles stay calmly relaxed and the sphincter stays confidently closed. In emptying mode, ie when you pee, the sphincter slowly relaxes and the bladder muscles (called the detrusor) contracts, emptying completely in a single steady strong stream. Ahh! Good bladder kharma requires coordination of nerve tracts in the brain, spinal cord and pelvic organs. Estrogen balance has to be just right (the urinary tract is estrogen sensitive!) and dietary factors from alcohol to zucchinis can affect control. So can menopause, that nine-pound
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I laughed so hard I peed my pants!
baby who wants to borrow the car now, and kidney stones or bladder infections. Rarely things like Parkinson’s disease, strokes, certain gyne issues or MS are discovered through bladder symptoms. Don’t even get me started on prostates. With five major types of incontinence, and all the possible combinations, a careful comprehensive approach to diagnosis is key. Some bladder control problems can be improved with dietary insight, some need pelvic floor physiotherapy, and some will benefit from medications, some from surgery. Every naughty bladder has a unique story and needs a unique solution; so if you are having trouble, let your health care providers know. They’ll guide you in the right direction.
Dr Bill Nielsen has been practising in Duncan for thirty years
