Is your laptop bag making you rush to the loo, ladies?

Growing number of women, who carry heavy laptops and handbags, approach docs with symptoms of Stress Urinary Incontinence

If you were to ask a young woman ready to board a local train, straddling a laptop bag across one shoulder, a Tupperware tiffin case and a handbag on the other, what ailments carrying that weight could give her, she'd shrug, "backache".
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Urologists, however, warn of a far more severe and embarrassing condition called Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI).
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Working women, who end up carrying around 6 to 9 kilos of weight regularly, often land up at their clinics complaining of SUI symptoms.

Heavy bags exert a pressure on the pelvic muscles, weakening them, and leaving the patient incapable of controlling urine output.

"Four out of 10 women patients that I see these days suffer from SUI. Some of them are as young as 28," says
Dr Ranjana Dhanu, honorary consultant, urogynaecology and endoscopy, at Lilavati Hospital.u00a0u00a0

SUI leaves the patient incapable of controlling the outflow of urine at the slightest abdominal pressure, whether while coughing, sneezing or exercising. This condition was once common among women post-childbirth or among older women.

It's characterised by the inability of the sphincter (which acts like a valve to the bladder) to stay closed when pressure is exerted on the abdomen, leading to urine leakage.

Surgically corrected

Dr Prawal Biswas, urologist at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, said the actual numbers are higher, but a lack of awareness about the condition and under-reporting due to the stigma associated with it, deters women from approaching experts for help.
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Self-esteem is likely to take a hit, as is sex life since the condition often leaves both partners uncomfortable.
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Women resort to using sanitary napkins as a temporary solution.

Doctors advise patients to opt for surgical corrections like the Tension-free Trans vaginal tape procedure, where a mesh tape is positioned under the urethra.
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The surgery has a 98 per cent success rate. Kegel exercises are often recommended to tighten perineum muscles.

20% women affected

Globally, 45 per cent women suffer from SUI. A research conducted by PGI Chandigarh in September 2008 revealed 20 per cent or 2.2 crore Indian women suffer from this ailment, at some stage in their lives.