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.
Each day, billions of men, women, and children throughout the world struggle with the impacts associated with bladder conditions and disease. There are many conditions that can affect the bladder including overactive bladder, urinary incontinence (leakage), bladder cancer, bedwetting, and nocturia.
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.
Some quick numbers about bladder health in the United States:
- Bladder diseases and conditions cost over $70 billion annually.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the reason for more than 8 million provider visits each year.
- Over 33 million adults have overactive bladder.
- 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 affect the bladder, how to prevent diseases that affect the bladder, and how to treat them.
Bladder Health Month is a great time to focus on educating and empowering individuals to take control of their bladder health. Obviously 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!
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