Healthy Focus is a magazine published by Duke Raleigh Hospital filled with information to inspire healthy behaviors in the Raleigh, Wake County, and Greater Triangle community.
Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/476386
THE PELVIC FLOOR IS a group of muscles that stretch from your tailbone to your pubic bone. They support pelvic organs, including the bladder, urethra, bowels and uterus. When these muscles weaken due to age, giving birth or medical problems, you may develop symptoms of PFD, including: • Urinary incontinence, loss of urine during a frequent or intense need to urinate or a loss of control when laughing, coughing or going to the toilet • Bowel control problems, including constipation or fecal incontinence • Intense pain in the bladder or pelvic area • Pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which the bladder, urethra, cervix or rectum drops due to lack of support from the pelvic floor muscles "Problems with the pelvic floor are not a normal part of aging," says Amie Kawasaki, MD, female pelvic medicine specialist with Duke Raleigh Hospital. "They're extremely common as patients get older, but often, people wait so long to seek treatment that I suspect their problems began much earlier in life. When I ask my patients how long they've been dealing with symptoms like incontinence, on average, they say seven to 10 years." SPECIALISTS WITH ANSWERS In many cases, Dr. Kawasaki has found that women don't believe pelvic floor problems can be treated, but that's far from the truth. There are exercises that can strengthen pelvic floor and bowel muscles, and avoiding certain foods and drinks that irritate the bladder or bowels can help, as well. If exercises and dietary changes don't solve the problem, there are medications and surgical solutions that can. "The one message I'd like to tell all women is to seek help," Dr. Kawasaki says. "If you're experiencing symptoms of PFD, visit a physician and get some care so that you may re- engage in your life and the activities that you enjoy." To find a urogynecologist at Duke Raleigh, visit dukeraleighhospital.org/ physicians or call 919-401-1000. Amie Kawasaki, MD, female pelvic medicine specialist with Duke Raleigh Hospital, will be hosting a session on pelvic floor disorders at the Stronger Together 2015 event hosted by Duke Medicine's Women's Health and Advocacy Initiative on April 11. For more details, see Page 8. What Is a Urogynecologist? Urogynecologists are physicians with special training in treating problems with female reproductive organs, the bladder, and the muscles and tissues that support the pelvic floor. "The specialty is relatively new, and people assume that a urogynecologist is only a bladder specialist or something of the sort," says Amie Kawasaki, MD, female pelvic medicine specialist with Duke Raleigh Hospital. "But we treat a wide variety of disorders associated with pelvic floor problems." Duke Raleigh's five urogynecologists can provide comprehensive care for your most intimate problems, and our physicians are conveniently located at offices in Durham and Raleigh. Spring 2015 HEALTHY FOCUS 3 Approximately one in four women age 20 or older will have a pelvic floor disorder (PFD) in her lifetime, according to the American Urogynecologic Society. The good news? There is hope for treating these uncomfortable conditions. Solutions for the PROBLEMS MOST INTIMATE