Some Wonder if LBL is Real- We Don’t Wonder. We Know.
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LBL. Light Bladder Leakage.
By now, you’ve probably seen the humorous, public-friendly webisodes from Poise, the ones that feature Whoopi Goldberg talking about LBL or “the spritz.” These light-hearted, friendly terms have been coined to discuss a serious condition in place of its much more serious name- female urinary incontinence.
Whether or not you can personally identify with this experience, chances are extremely high that someone in your life (a sister, a friend, a mother) has and is struggling with this condition daily. So, it’s of little surprise that the videos have already resonated so strongly with the public. Sure, they make us laugh. They’re also sparking some serious debates.
Recently on AOL.com, a writer questioned whether or not “Light Bladder Leakage” is real or just another medical condition that’s been given a “convenient” image makeover for profit. The article’s primary testimonial comes from a Florida urologist who claims that talking about “pee-in-your-pants” is good business and good profit, that this is just another case of “a medical supplies company inventing a problem, then filling a need.”
“Inventing a problem,” he says. Well, Women’s Health Foundation promotes, first and foremost, education. So, here are some facts:
- Urinary incontinence has been rated one of the top 3 chronic health conditions that most adversely affect quality of life, along with stroke and Alzheimers Disease.
- This is a condition that affects 1-3 women and is so deeply stigmatized within our society that most women delay seeking care from their doctor, sometimes for years.
- UI costs our health care system $26 billion a year.
- Many women can prevent Urinary Incontinence with a few simple, preventive behavioral changes. They just don’t know it. Because no one is talking about it.
At Women’s Health Foundation, we work directly with women whose daily lives are affected by this condition. And there are many of them. The truth of the matter is that the name, in this case, does matter. Say the word “incontinent” and inevitably images spring to mind, erroneous images of invalids, bed pans and diapers.
This might seem like a small thing on the surface. But it prevents women from talking- to their doctors, their family, even their closest friends. A woman who does not talk is far more likely to suffer. In silence.
By renaming this condition, by calling it something a little less scary and medical, we at Women’s Health Foundation have seen the response firsthand. Women who can now call themselves a “leaker” or a “spritzer”, with a laugh or a smile, finally have an identifier that makes them feel more comfortable. Again, it might seem like a small thing to you. But to us, it’s huge. Because we’ve done the research and we’ve seen the truth- women who feel empowered to talk will be more inclined to seek the help they need. They will improve their quality of life. They will live healthier and more fulfilled lives.
Which brings us to Women’s Health Foundation and our relationship with Poise. WHF has partnered with Poise to increase awareness of this issue and encourage women to learn about ALL of their treatment options. Women’s Health Foundation promotes holistic treatment by behavioral modification, nutrition and exercise.
And Poise? Poise’s pads are different than menstrual pads. Menstrual pads are not designed to absorb and prevent urine odor which is often a concern for women experiencing LBL. Incontinence pads like Poise have a superabsorbent material that holds and locks away urine from the skin. This is important since urine and wetness can be a major irritant where you least want it. Leakage pads give women the tools they need to manage or eliminate their symptoms, in order to become independent of treatment. And now they’re shedding light on a serious condition that is riddled with misunderstanding and stigma, a stigma that has created, as WHF founder Missy Lavender puts it, a “Sisterhood of Shame and Silence.”
So, debate is good. We love it. It means that people are talking and, frankly, we couldn’t be happier about that. The women we work with have been silent for far, far too long.
The disappointing thing to me about this AOL Health article is the lack of the rest of the interview I gave the writer. As a follow up to The View segment, we went into the “What else you can do…” part of LBL. This is where we really live – in a healthy diet, in appropriate exercises (Pelvic Pyramid), in good bowel health (no constipation), etc.. To me, this is the “meat” of the information – not a debate over verbiage.
Hummm… as long as this doc wants to point fingers and make accusations, perhaps we could point one right back and say that he’s simply looking for his own place in the spotlight. I mean, really man, you’re a doctor. There is medical evidence that women often experience LBL due to muscle weakness, particularly after pregnancy.