Tag Archives: incontinence

What Is “Power Peeing” and How Does It Affect Pelvic Floor Health?

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The term “power peeing” is used to describe the habit of forcefully pushing or bearing down on the abdominal muscles to urinate faster; doing this can contribute to a host of health problems.

Straining our abdominal muscles to expel urine faster is a common practice, often done when we are rushing.  While power peeing appears to speed up the process and save us some time, it can do more harm than good.  Habitually forcing out our urine can:

  • Weaken pelvic floor muscles
  • Lead to pelvic floor dysfunction
  • Lead to incomplete bladder emptying
  • Lead to incontinence
  • Lead to urinary leakage
  • Lead to constipation
  • Increase prolapse risk
  • Increase UTI risk

To avoid these problems, it is advisable to relax our pelvic muscles when urinating and let the urine flow.  Here are some tips to help you do this:

  • Don’t hover over the toilet seat
  • Sit fully on the toilet seat with both feet on the floor and lean slightly forward.
  • Take a deep breath and relax the pelvic muscles
  • Breathe normally with full inhalation and slow exhalation
  • Allow urine to flow and the bladder to empty naturally without pushing
  • Practice double voiding (taking the time to pee twice to ensure your bladder is completely empty)

Practicing the proper urination technique is important because it can help promote good pelvic floor and bladder health.

If you are experiencing incontinence or bladder health issues, a urologist can help.  To schedule an appointment with a doctor at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Urinary Incontinence

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Urinary incontinence is the inability to control the flow of urine resulting in a person urinating when they don’t want to. The basic cause is due to loss of control of the urinary sphincter. This is a fairly common condition, occurring more frequently in women than in men. The American Urological Association estimates that one quarter to one third of people in the United States experience urinary incontinence.
Types of incontinence:
• Stress Incontinence – urine leaks when there is pressure put on the bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects
• Urge Incontinence – the urge to urinate can be very intense and can be caused by a severe infection or a chronic condition like diabetes or a neurological condition
• Overflow Incontinence – when the bladder doesn’t empty completely it can lead to dribbling
• Functional Incontinence – when there is a physical or mental condition that inhibits you from getting to the bathroom quickly enough. (This can be due to age or a physical disability)
• Mixed Incontinence – when there is more than one factor that leads to being unable to control the flow of urine
Diagnosing urinary incontinence can be done in different ways and depends on what the underlying cause is thought to be. In men this may include a prostate exam and in women this may involve checking the pelvic floor. A blood test may be performed to assess kidney function. Urinalysis may show if there are signs of infection.  It may be necessary to examine the bladder by performing a post void residual test to see if the bladder is emptying properly. A pelvic ultrasound can be used to see if there are obstructions in the ureters and bladder. A cystogram is an x-ray of the bladder. Another exam is a cystoscope whereby a tiny probe is placed into the urethra to see if there are abnormalities.
Treatment options for urinary incontinence depend on what is causing the problem. Options include muscle strengthening, delaying urination as a way of gaining control, going to the bathroom to urinate at set times to avoid a buildup of urine in the body. There are also medications that may be helpful in controlling an overactive bladder, and weakened sphincters.
If surgery is necessary, Flushing Hospital offers the latest in robotic surgical treatment options. If you are having symptoms of urinary incontinence and would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital to discuss these treatment options, please call 718-670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.