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Drugs or nappies? There is another option for Australians with
incontinence problems.
MEDIA RELEASE – For immediate release. Brisbane, Qld, 20 April 2008
Last week's announcement that commonly used incontinence drugs are linked to memory loss in older people should raise the alarm for Australia's ageing population.
''Our message is to be careful when using these medicines." said s tudy leader, neurologist Jack Tsao.
Dr Tsao urged people to remember that urinary incontinence can be resolved with non-drug treatments, so patients should ask about alternatives. Exercises, biofeedback, bladder retraining and other non-medical treatments work for many sufferers.
"It's definitely true that many of the people approaching us are looking for a safe, natural approach to overcoming their incontinence" stated Linda McClelland, founder of Pelvic Floor Exercise.
"They are often concerned that they are being offered drug therapies or surgery when they would prefer to try an exercise regime first."
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through a program of exercises is recognised as the first step to overcoming stress incontinence in younger women and an important factor in maintaining continence in women as they age. Information on how to exercise the pelvic floor muscles is widely available, and there are many simple aids for those who find the exercises difficult.
"It's important to build strong pelvic floor muscles while you can" said Linda McClelland.
"Strong pelvic floor muscles won't necessarily prevent incontinence in later years, but they may minimise the need for drugs with unpleasant side-effects."
Dr Tsao's study looked at a class of drugs called anticholinergics, including drugs for high blood pressure, asthma, Parkinson's disease, as well as incontinence. But the incontinence drugs were taken more frequently than other anticholinergics, and were amongst the most potent drugs in the study. Researchers therefore believe the incontinence drugs, such as Detrol and Ditropan, are driving the memory problems. Study results show that people taking the drugs had a 50 per cent faster cognitive decline than those who didn't.
Ends
About Pelvic Floor Exercise
The PelvicFloor Exercise website is a valuable online resource for Australian women (and men) providing a wealth of information and research into this delicate subject. www.pelvicfloorexercise.com.au is Australia 's only specialist pelvic floor exercise website and online store. The site provides extensive research-based information, along with reading materials, DVDs and manual exercise aids that dispel the mystery of how to do effective pelvic floor exercises, allowing women to make informed decisions in the privacy of their own homes.
The www.pelvicfloorexercise.com.au website is the definitive guide for Pelvic Floor Exercise information, research and products. Check out the full range of pelvic floor exercise aids at the online store at www.pelvicfloorexercise.com.au/shop.htm and you can also contact the team by email.
For products to shoot, more information, photography or interviews, please contact:
Gina Pearce at Savage Public Relations
Tel: +61 (0) 41 438 3917 or +61 (0)7 5452 6231or email gina@savagepr.com.au
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