[Click! Health] ‘Yosilgeum’ That Lowers Quality of Life... How to Treat It

[Image source=Pixabay] [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Recently, the term 'YOLD' has become popular. It is a newly coined word combining 'Young' and 'Old,' meaning 'seniors who live youthfully.' Unlike typical seniors, they pursue an active lifestyle and enjoy various hobbies such as travel and sports even as they age. However, even for these individuals, an unwelcome visitor that often comes with aging is 'urinary incontinence.' This condition refers to the involuntary leakage of urine, causing personal hygiene and social issues.

Kim Won-jung, head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Gangnam Bedro Hospital, said, “Urinary incontinence is not a life-threatening disease but is closely related to a decline in quality of life. The odor caused by urine leakage and the physical activity restrictions from wearing pads or diapers can lead to emotional and social problems such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.”

Urinary incontinence can be classified into several types depending on the situation in which it occurs. The most common types are stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, and mixed urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence occurs when urine leaks during activities that increase abdominal pressure, such as sneezing or laughing loudly. Urge urinary incontinence refers to the sudden leakage of urine before reaching the restroom despite feeling the urge to urinate. Normally, one can hold urine until lowering their underwear at the restroom, but patients with urge urinary incontinence cannot, resulting in leakage. There is also mixed urinary incontinence, which combines stress and urge urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence prevalence increases with age regardless of gender. In women, the likelihood of developing urinary incontinence is higher if they have given birth. Obesity doubles the risk compared to lean women. A decrease in female hormones can also be a major cause. Female hormones strengthen the tissues around the urethra, enhancing the ability to hold urine, but in menopausal women, the reduction of these hormones weakens this ability, worsening urinary incontinence symptoms.

Kim Won-jung, Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Gangnam Bedro Hospital Photo by Gangnam Bedro Hospital

Diagnosis of urinary incontinence begins primarily with a medical history through an interview. Additional tests such as neurological exams, urinary incontinence provocation tests, pelvic muscle tests, urine tests, uroflowmetry, ultrasound, and MRI are conducted to diagnose symptoms more precisely. If symptoms are mild, medication treatments using anticholinergics and alpha-adrenergic agonists can be tried. Alongside this, pelvic muscle exercises known as 'Kegel exercises' are recommended. Research has shown symptom improvement in patients who consistently performed these exercises for 3 to 6 months or more.

If these treatments are not effective, surgery may be considered. The most actively performed surgeries recently are TVT and TOT surgeries. These surgeries use tapes developed for urinary incontinence treatment to support the urethra, preventing urine leakage when abdominal pressure rises, such as during sneezing. TVT surgery carries a risk of bladder perforation during the procedure. TOT surgery was developed to address this drawback.

Director Kim Won-jung said, “Urinary incontinence is a disease with a very high treatment success rate due to advances in medication and surgical methods. If accurately diagnosed and appropriately treated, satisfactory results can be achieved, so if symptoms appear, do not endure discomfort but visit a hospital promptly.”