TORONTO, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- It is estimated that only one in four women with symptoms of incontinence will seek help for this problem, according to Canadian researchers.
Incontinence often starts in middle age and can interfere with many daily activities such as exercise and travel, and over time it can lead to physical health problems such as chronic bladder infections.
Dr. Phillip Smith and colleagues urge physicians to ask patients about this symptom, in case information is not volunteered. Most cases can be classified as stress incontinence, urge incontinence or mixed incontinence, says Smith.
The diagnosis of uncomplicated incontinence can usually be made based on office evaluation, without the need for further tests or referrals, and treatment should give satisfactory relief to up to 90 percent of patients, according to the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
