Healthy Swellness: Poise Impressa Bladder Supports

February 29, 2016

Alright, ladies, I’m about to talk about a not very cool or trendy topic, but I think it’s important one.

Why do I think it’s important to talk about? Because I think the idea of not being able to control when you pee (aka stress urinary incontinence, ie. when the muscles around the urethra become too weak to prevent the leakage of urine from the bladder when pressure or stress is placed on it) sounds pretty awful, completely embarrassing and I can understand why many women feel shameful about pee leaking as freely as the waterfall pictured above and having no control over it.

They shouldn’t feel so alone though, because as I learned from Dr. Jennifer Berman, one in four women suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). (Does Dr. Berman’s name ring a bell? If so, that’s because she’s the host of the Emmy award-winning show, The Doctors). She goes further to say that based on her experience as a doctor that all woman will at some point suffer from SUI. It happens commonly after having given birth, and can also emerge when one is menopausal and your body is going through  hormonal changes.

What’s particularly exciting about Impressa is that it’s over-the-counter and “it’s extra significant because while it’s not a treatment because it’s not permanent, it is the only non-surgical option that offers the same if not better efficacy as surgical intervention,” she says.

See, the thing is, Impressa is not an absorbent product (most of us have heard about absorbent undergarments to address this issue, after all). Rather Impressa is a device that you insert much much a tampon (only more rectangular in shape) and it physically supports the urethra to help prevent you from leaking urine. Material-wise, the device features a silicone frame surrounded by a non-absorbent white mesh. Impressa can be worn up to eight hours and when you’re ready to remove it, simply remove pulling on the attached string (much like a tampon).

As Dr. Berman explained to me, most women know what situations can trigger their SUI. The triggers range, but it can include walking, sneezing, coughing, riding horses, or running for example. For her, while she experience SUI after having each of her two children, SUI has now made a reappearance for her when she rides horses. Now there’s an option that allows her to not have to worry about any wetness showing (Dr. Berman would typically not use any type of undergarment, and instead would just worry and be prepared to change her pants after horseback riding).

Think about it: Dr. Berman and most women know their triggers so they can make sure to wear an absorbent undergarment when heading into aerobics class, for example. But what about the women who experience SUI when they cough or sneeze? We don’t have control when we cough or sneeze so imagine adding on the stress and worry that you may pee yourself whenever you cough? With Impressa, the worry is alleviated.

“There’s still taboo and shame around bodily functions and the loss of control of bodily functions,” says Dr. Berman. “It’s perceived as dirty or that something wrong with you. especially for younger women but older women, too,” she says, noting that for older divorced or widowed women who are starting dating again, SUI presents an impediment to social freedom and quality of life.

So while it may not be the product you’re looking to shout about from the rooftops due to the embarrassment tied into SUI, it’s easy to consider how life-changing this product could be for women suffering from SUI. So consider looking into Impressa if you’re suffering from SUI. I’m guessing you haven’t told anyone about your SUI problem other than your maybe your doctor, and once you start using this product, it’ll remain your little secret always.

For more information, visit www.impressa.com.

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Filed under: Healthy Swellness

Tags: adult diapers, depends, health issue, incontinence, pee, stress urinary incontinence, SUI, urine