By Frank Lin, MD
Did you know that November is Bladder Health Awareness Month?
The American Urological Association (AUA), the Urology Care Foundation, and the Bladder Health Alliance established November as National Bladder Health Month in the United States in 2016. While most of us don’t think about our bladder health on a day-to-day basis, this month serves as a reminder to get the facts about common bladder health conditions and to take an active role in caring for our bladder health.
Each day, billions of men, women, and children throughout the world struggle with the impacts associated with bladder conditions and disease. Many conditions can affect the bladder, including overactive bladder, urinary incontinence (leakage), bladder cancer, bedwetting, and nocturia.
In the United States alone, bladder diseases and conditions cost over $70 billion annually. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the reason for more than 8 million provider visits in the US each year, over 33 million adults have overactive bladder – and more than 575,000 Americans live with bladder cancer.
We might take our bladders for granted when things are working normally, but we should be aware of the various disorders that can affect the bladder, how to prevent diseases that affect the bladder, and how to treat them. Each week of Bladder Health Awareness Month, the focus is on a different bladder issue:
- Week 1: Interstitial Cystitis, Neurogenic Bladder & Bladder Infection/UTI
- Week 2: Bladder Cancer
- Week 3: Incontinence, OAB, SUI, & Nocturia
- Week 4: Bedwetting, Bladder Exstrophy & Other Bladder Conditions/Diseases
Bladder Health Month is a great time to educate and empower individuals to take control of their bladder health. Talking about these conditions can be difficult or uncomfortable, but here at UW Health, we have specialists ready to evaluate and treat your bladder health conditions!