Q&A: Empower Your Daughter

By Lisa D. Ellis

You may think that your children are years away from having to think about their bladder health. But in fact, many college-aged women young women and athletes also have some of the same symptoms as you; they just may be reluctant to admit it. The good news is that it’s never too soon to empower young women to take charge of their bodies. Here’s what you need to know to help the young women in your life stay in control.

Q: Aren’t bladder issues usually only experienced by middle aged and elderly women, not younger folks?

A: While most people associate bladder challenges with changes that occur in a woman’s body after childbirth and/or as they get older, in fact, bladder leakage is also a concern for many young women as well. This is a normal experience, but it just isn’t well known. As a result, there are that many women today who either don’t think to talk about it with their doctors, or they don’t know how to broach the issue with their family and friends. That’s why some doctors suggest bringing up the subject with your daughter yourself. This way you can reassure her that if she ever experiences any bladder symptoms, she should remember that there are many effective treatments to consider that can make a big difference.

Q: What causes bladder issues in young women?

A: In many cases, participating in high-impact sports can lead to bladder concerns for college- age students. Anything from engaging in gymnastics, doing aerobics regularly, or even running can cause damage to the pelvic floor area, similar to what happens when a woman has a baby— and this can lead to bladder leakage. In fact, a few recent studies have found that as many as a quarter of young women who regularly do high impact activities may experience this problem.

Other causes of bladder leakage in young women can including hereditary factors (such as a predisposition to weak muscles in the area that supports the bladder), smoking, which weakens tissues, and obesity, since excess weight can put extra pressure on the bladder and is strongly associated with leakage at any age.

Q: How are bladder concerns treated in young people?

A: Just as in older women, how bladder control issues are treated depends a great deal on what is causing the problem. Some of the common treatment strategies can include controlling fluid intake, especially before exercise and bedtime, practicing exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and helping women to be more in control, losing weight, and even using a special device called a pessary, which looks similar to a diaphragm and can help provide extra support that can help minimize leakage.

So, if a young woman in your life has some bladder concerns, encourage her to visit her doctor. She’ll be glad she did.