More than 200 million people worldwide suffer from overactive bladder--and it’s twice as common in women

My worst nightmare is having to urinate and not being able to find a bathroom or even worse, not getting to one in time. I remember once reading a story about a woman who went to a Broadway show and lost control of her bladder while waiting in line for the ladies room. (I can attest--those lines can be really, really long.) And I’d imagine that poor woman did not return for the show’s second act.

Beauty and bladders don't seem all that related, but think about how being uncomfortable can totally wreck your mood--and your look. It can be embarrassing to talk about, I know. And so many women would rather live with their bladder issues than seek help. My own gyno, when I told her I feel I can’t hold my urine as well as I once did and I’m afraid I’m going to lose it one day, told me “you’ll know when it’s time to get help.” I didn’t want to ask her how exactly I’d know, since I can pretty much figure it out on my own. (Clue: Woman. Broadway show. Quick exit.)

So, when should you seek help? After all, a few incidences--maybe you sneezed or laughed and had a little leakage – don’t necessarily require medical attention. But if the problem is frequent, or keeps you from venturing too far from home or even from going out in the first place, then it might be time. Other scenarios might include:

• You feel the urgency to urinate. You rush to the bathroom – but don’t always get there in time.
• You have frequent bladder infections.
• You urinate much more frequently than you used to, despite the fact that you don’t have a bladder infection.
• You often feel the need to urinate but when it comes time to, you can’t.
• Your urine stream is getting weaker and even after you “go” you feel your bladder is not entirely emptied.
• You have pain that is unrelated to a bladder infection when your bladder is full and when you urinate.

Have you heard that urinary incontinence is a natural consequence of aging, childbearing, childbirth, menopause? That belief could be why a lot of doctors might be dismissive of your complaints. That belief could also be why a lot of women don’t even bother to complain.

That’s what specialists are for. There are a couple of types who treat urinary disorders. Among them: a urogynecologist, who is a ob-gyn that has additional training in problems that affect a woman’s pelvic floor (the network of muscles, ligaments, nerves, and connective tissues that help support the bladder and other pelvic organs); and a urologist, who specializes in both male and female urinary disorders as well as the male reproductive system.

Most likely, you’ll be asked to keep a bladder diary. While it might not be quite as exciting as a diary that dishes on your personal life, it can help you and your doc determine the causes of your bladder control issues. Just thinking about the times and the amounts you drink, when you urinate, how much urine you produce, etc., can clue you in to some things you might be doing wrong, like drinking too much liquid too close to bedtime.

It also helps to think about the medications you take and the foods and drinks you consume. Some medications (like certain high blood pressure meds) can put a strain on your bladder, so can alcohol, coffee, or soda. Some health professionals think that very spicy or sweet foods can be culprits, too.

Treatments for bladder control problems vary. They could be as simple as learning special exercises (remember to do your Kegels!) or biofeedback, or as complicated as surgery. There are also medications that might help--some can relax the bladder so it can hold more urine, others can help tighten the sphincter muscles to avoid uncontrolled leakage.

One interesting treatment I recently came across was a pacemaker-like device, weighing just one ounce that is implanted into the patient’s lower back. It sends electric stimulation to the base of the spine to signal when the bladder is full, since so many times the bladder is not necessarily as full as it might feel. Studies show that this tiny device works: 56 percent of the users cut their bathroom trips in half, and 46 percent of patients had no bladder control issues at all.

A pacemaker for your bladder may not be for everybody. But isn’t it nice to know that there are alternatives?

Sheryl Kraft is Health & Wellness Editor at EndlessBeauty.com