Ask The Doctor: Women's Bladder and Pelvic Health
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If you're like most women, you have many questions about personal topics that aren't usually discussed. Some of these questions might include:
"I pee a little when I laugh. Is that normal?"
"How has my body changed 'down there' since I had my baby?"
"So what are Kegels and do they really work? How much is enough?"
"Why am I constipated so often?"
"Why is intercourse painful for me?"
All these questions relate to something called the pelvic floor. This web of muscles, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue and nerves is at the bottom of the pelvic region, where it supports and stabilizes everything from the uterus and bladder to the rectum and hip joints. Keeping this organ, muscle and skeletal system healthy is essential for women of all ages.
For this reason, and because May 15-19 is National Women's Health Week, our next Ask The Doctor article will focus on women's bladder and pelvic health issues. Send us your question by May 9, and it may be answered anonymously by Dr. Arielle Allen on the On Your Health blog on May 19.
Dr. Allen is a fellowship-trained urogynecologist, board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, who specializes in female pelvic health. She strives to educate women about the urinary and gynecologic changes associated with aging, and can provide specialized treatment plans for female pelvic-related problems.
Use the form on our Ask the Doctor page to submit your question anonymously, and make sure to check back to I On Your Health on May 19 to see if your question was answered.