| Foreword | xi |
| Acknowledgments | xv |
| Introduction | xix |
| Chapter 1 | Incontinence: Serious and Costly | 1 |
| Silence Is Not Golden | |
| Chapter 2 | How Does Your Bladder Work? | 5 |
| The Kidneys and the Urinary Tract Story | |
| It's All in Your Head | |
| The Path to Normal Urination | |
| Chapter 3 | The Best Unkept Hidden Secret | 19 |
| What Is Urinary Incontinence? | |
| An Ignored Risk | |
| The Last Taboo | |
| The Taboo Goes Public | |
| Chapter 4 | The Burden of Incontinence | 27 |
| Incontinence and Social Dysfunction | |
| Travel | |
| Sex | |
| Caring for Someone with Incontinence | |
| Chapter 5 | Myths | 35 |
| Myth 1 | "I'm Just Getting Old" | |
| Myth 2 | "Nothing Can Be Done About It Anyway" | |
| Myth 3 | "I Won't Need Surgery, Will I?" | |
| Myth 4 | "I Trust My Doctor to Tell Me What to Do" | |
| Myth 5 | "I'm So Confused" | |
| Myth 6 | "All I Need Are Some Diapers" | |
| Chapter 6 | Causes and Types of Incontinence | 41 |
| Persons at Risk | |
| The AHCPR Guidelines in Action | |
| Transient Causes of Incontinence | |
| Medications Contribute to Your Incontinence | |
| The Healthy Mind = Continence | |
| Environmental Barriers | |
| Chapter 7 | Chronic Urinary Incontinence | 59 |
| Do You Have Small Leaks? Stress Incontinence | |
| Can't Always Make It There? Urge Incontinence | |
| The Tank Doesn't Empty? Overflow Incontinence | |
| Unable to Get to the Bathroom? Functional Incontinence | |
| Have No Feeling to Urinate? Reflex Incontinence | |
| Chapter 8 | Related Causes and Diseases | 71 |
| Long-Term Chronic Illness | |
| Chapter 9 | Bowel Irregularity | 87 |
| Chronic Constipation | |
| Diarrhea | |
| Fecal Impaction | |
| Bowel Incontinence | |
| Chapter 10 | Finding Help for Your Incontinence | 105 |
| The First Line of Defense | |
| The Physician | |
| The Nurses | |
| The Therapists | |
| The Social Worker | |
| The Pharmacist | |
| Medical Product Suppliers | |
| Incontinence Practices | |
| Chapter 11 | You Can Run, But You Can't Hide | 115 |
| Investigating the Causes | |
| Identifying Your Symptoms | |
| What? Where? When? How? | |
| AHCPR Basic Evaluation Checklist | |
| Investigating Your Medical History | |
| The Examination Is the Key | |
| Chapter 12 | The Bladder Diary | 125 |
| Reviewing Your Diary with the Experts | |
| Completing a Bladder Diary | |
| Chapter 13 | Investigating Your Bladder | 133 |
| Baseline Testing | |
| Analyzing Urine | |
| PVR: What's Left in Your Bladder After Urination | |
| Pad Tests | |
| Observing Urine Loss | |
| When Will Further Tests Be Done? | |
| Cystometrogram | |
| Assessing Urine Flow | |
| Urethral Pressure Profile | |
| Cystoscopy | |
| Chapter 14 | Nonsurgical Techniques: Behavior Modification | 143 |
| You Are What You Eat | |
| Behavioral Therapy | |
| Bladder Battles: Controlling the Urge | |
| Exercising Your Pelvic Muscles | |
| Biofeedback Therapy | |
| Using Weights to Strengthen Your Pelvic Muscle | |
| Stimulating Your Pelvic Muscle to Contract | |
| Toileting Programs | |
| Chapter 15 | Medical Management | 175 |
| Medications | |
| Surgery as the Solution to Your Incontinence | |
| Artificial Urinary Sphincter | |
| Urethral Injections | |
| Chapter 16 | Managing Your Urinary Incontinence Problem with Catheters | 191 |
| Using Catheters to Collect the Urine | |
| Catheterization on an Intermittent Basis | |
| Indwelling Catheters | |
| Suprapubic Catheter | |
| External Catheter Systems | |
| Chapter 17 | Incontinence Products | 229 |
| Absorbent Products | |
| Disposable Products | |
| Reusable Products | |
| Underpads/Bedpads | |
| Selecting the Best Product | |
| Other Products and Devices | |
| Keeping Your Skin Healthy | |
| Chapter 18 | Pelvic Prolapse and Support Devices for Women | 249 |
| Pelvic Organ Support Devices | |
| Pelvic Support Devices for Incontinence | |
| Chapter 19 | Toilets, Commodes, and Other Devices | 259 |
| Collection Devices | |
| Other Devices | |
| Chapter 20 | The Caregiving Dilemma: Growing Old with Incontinence | 269 |
| Helping a Family Member with Incontinence | |
| Home Care Services | |
| Incontinence in the Nursing Home | |
| Alternative Living Possibilities | |
| Chapter 21 | Maintaining Continence and Preventing Incontinence | 287 |
| Success of One Health Promotion Program | |
| Chapter 22 | Bed-wetting and Children | 293 |
| Childhood Enuresis | |
| Treatments | |
| Appendix A | Finding the Products You Need | 299 |
| Appendix B | Self-Help Groups and Resources | 323 |
| Glossary | 323 |
| Selected Readings | 339 |
| Index | 341 |