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Donate to Vets this Valentine’s Day
URINARY INCONTINENCE: YOUR PHARMACIST CAN HELP
Urinary incontinence (UI), the involuntary leakage of urine, is a di cult condition for many patients to face and discuss. Statistics demonstrate that an estimated 10 to 30% of men and women are a ected nationally. e numbers are believed to be even higher however, because of the unwillingness in many patients to acknowledge or address the situation.
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Patients who su er with UI symptoms can develop poor self-rated health, depression, and mobility disability. And in addition to the varied psychological burdens on patients with UI, there are also signi cant nancial taxation on these patients. Studies show billions of dollars are spent on the condition, its treatment and supplies yearly..
prior stroke, high body mass index (BMI), recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs), and positive metabolic screening, which factors in triglycerides.
What actually causes UUI/OAB is unknown, however in patients with this condition, control is not well regulated. e main muscle of the bladder, contracts involuntarily even if the bladder is not full, resulting in the urge to urinate.
By Forum Sta
Valentine’s Day is next week and State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) recently announced that he’s opening his offices as drop-off locations for St. Mary Gate of Heaven’s Valentines for Veterans drive.
Addabbo’s new district office, located at 84-16 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven, and his Middle Village office at 66-85 73rd Pl., will act as drop off spots to collect body wash, deodorant, tissues, shampoo, hand lotion, combs and hair brushes, decks of cards, pens writing paper, tube socks, and t-shirts (XL size only) for the drive. In addition to these items, Addabbo is also accepting Valentine’s Day cards which he will hand-deliver to the veterans.
The Ozone Park church is not collecting dental care products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, lap blankets, razor blades, powders, wipes, or bars of soap.
Cash donations will also be accepted. If you wish to make a donation by check, please make the check out to “Dept. of Veterans Affairs”.
All donations will be delivered to the veterans at the St. Albans Veterans Center.
“This Valentine’s Day spread the love to our local veterans and consider making a donation to the St. Albans Veteran Center,” Addabbo, a member of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, said. “Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our freedoms and way of life, so I am proud to be part of this great event. I want to thank St. Mary Gate of Heaven for organizing this drive and remembering our veterans.”
If you wish to bring your donations directly to St. Mary Gate of Heaven, please drop off your donations by Sunday, Feb. 12 in the church basement, located at 103-12 101st Ave., between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Or you can drop them off at the rectory on Monday, Feb. 13.
UI can be transient and reversible, or it can be established and chronic. ere are four main types of UI–stress, urge, overow, and functional incontinence. Incontinence di ers and is categorized according to individual types based on the symptoms.
Stress incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine on e ort or physical exertion or on sneezing or cough.”
Urge incontinence is the “complaint of involuntary leakage accompanied by or immediately preceded by urgency.”
Over ow incontinence is related to an obstructed urine ow and/or bladder under activity where an individual has a full bladder, but is unable to completely void at time of urination, which later leads to leakage.
Functional incontinence, unlike the other forms of incontinence, occurs when an individual has issues ge ing to the rest room due to an external factor (i.e. dementia, immobility, etc.), but is not associated with urinary tract dysfunction.
While these conditions are most commonly found in the senior population, other patients who are much younger may be a ected due to neurological diseases like ere are a host of products available at your local pharmacy, including pads, washes, creams and other preparations. We will help you create a changing schedule to prevent skin breakdown.
Your pharmacist can really o er you help in the management of OAB/UUI. We have the ability to explain and discuss with you non-pharmacological interventions and pharmacological therapy. e rst-line of therapy is always behavioral intervention, and on that front, pharmacists can provide education and abundant resources for patients to use.
Kegel exercises, done daily, can improve symptoms of urinary incontinence within weeks to a few months by building strength in pelvic muscles.
Counseling can be provided to explain these exercises and how to do them.
Pharmacists can also provide a medication review and identify medications that could cause or exacerbate urinary incontinence. If pharmacotherapy is warranted, pharmacists can assist in product selection based on age, adverse drug events pro le, dosage form, dosage adjustments, and cost, as well as assess lifestyle and pharmacotherapy adherence on follow-up visits.
Pharmacists can provide a vital role in recommending therapy and providing direct care in patients diagnosed with OAB or UUI.
Discreet help is always available, so please don’t hesitate to ask..
Until next week…
