You are not alone; tens of millions of Americans experience leakage of urine from the bladder or the bowels. It’s a condition that causes frustration and embarrassment, and it can be both unhygienic and even dangerous.

While it’s true that it often begins with mild episodes – most noticeably with a sneeze, cough, or exercise – and worsens over time, incontinence isn’t normal at any age. Why, then, do so many people believe leakage is an inevitable part of growing older?

Common Causes of Incontinence

For the vast majority of people, the problem of leakage stems from loss of one or both of the two integral parts of the system that must work together to empty the bladder and the rectum normally – the muscles and the nerves.

Both the bladder and the rectum depend on a complex system of muscles that include sphincters and broad support muscles – what we call the “pelvic floor.” These muscles and nerves, in both women and men, can be damaged or otherwise lose their integrity in several ways.

Specific conditions of the rectum or bladder can lead to incontinence, and so can anything that causes irritation or inflammation to these organs.

Conditions like bladder infections, cancer, and diabetes can lead to urinary incontinence, so a urinalysis is often a first step to check for bacteria, blood, or excess sugar in the urine, none of which should be there.

Childbirth and pregnancy are the next reason these muscles and nerves may be injured. Babies passing through the birth canal often tear the muscles in ways that don’t show up as problematic until decades later. And during pregnancy and delivery, the important nerve transmission lines can get stretched and injured.

Finally, a number of other conditions can contribute to the loss of proper bowel and bladder function and control – things like medications, radiation, surgery, and a broad range of health conditions that affect the nerves and muscles, including myopathies, Parkinson’s, and many more.

To blame age alone is to overlook any of these likely culprits. And understanding the real issue is the first step toward finding a resolution, something that is almost always possible.

Treating Incontinence

I wrote recently about the general lack of understanding in the medical profession regarding incontinence. After mustering up the courage to speak with a doctor about the issue, many people often receive no real direction and no solutions.

Standard recommendations include diet modifications, limited fluid intake, pelvic floor exercises, and changes to one’s voiding schedule. Indeed, here at The Continence Center in Nevada, these are often the first steps we advise as well.

We usually ask patients to keep a diary of diet and fluid intake with special care to note caffeine and alcohol intake. Sometimes just cutting back on alcohol, caffeine, or nighttime fluids will cause a big improvement in bladder control.

Bathroom Visits

Scheduling a visit to the bathroom every two hours is another strategy that will sometimes allow a person to avoid leakage and accidents, though it might require setting an alarm for reminders. Some people can also improve upon the emptying of the bladder by voiding twice – so-called double voiding. After going to the bathroom, take just a few minutes and then try to empty the bladder a second time.

Exercises

Exercises and pelvic floor therapy can also help improve the pelvic floor muscles and reduce leakage. Contracting the sphincter muscles – i.e., Kegel exercises – are the mainstay of any exercise therapy.

Additional pelvic floor exercises have been shown to improve bladder leakage. Some of these involve squats, kneeling leg lifts, and other specific exercises on the mat. These can be done at home alone with the help of a training video, or with a biofeedback therapist. We like to prescribe an exercise therapy program for every patient.

All of these strategies comprise the standard recommendations for treating incontinence. But almost without exception, by the time someone comes to see us at The Continence Center, they’ve tried all of these, usually for years, without durable success.

And while medications, medical devices, invasive surgery, and medication injections tend to be the next suggestion from some doctors, there really is a better, simpler way.

Sacral Nerve Modulation

The most effective solution for bladder leakage or overactive bladder remains sacral nerve modulation. Approved by the FDA nearly 20 years ago, it is covered by Medicare and virtually all insurance plans.

The procedure takes about 25 minutes, during which a tiny device – similar to a pacemaker, which was actually the inspiration – is placed beneath the skin around the “back pocket” area of the body. No general anesthetic is required.

Bioengineers wondered whether they could replicate tremendous efficacy of cardiac pacemakers by similarly restoring the transmission lines to the pelvic floor muscles and sphincters of the bladder and bowels. Their efforts paid off with a highly effective treatment that now is routinely performed as a minor procedure with local anesthetic.

The recent device has a battery life of more than 15 years and is 90% successful at resolving bladder incontinence or overactive bladder. The only problem? There are relatively few doctors with specialized training in neuromodulation, so you have to do some searching to find one.

However, for our patients, dealing with the struggles of incontinence is motivation enough to do some digging. For them, and for anyone reading this who understands all too well the challenges posed by incontinence, please know that bladder leakage is definitely not something you have to put up with; nor is it a sign of normal aging.

I hope you’ll learn more about sacral nerve modulation for bladder and bowel leakage and get back to living the life you deserve.

Is bladder leakage something you’ve been living with? Have you been told that ‘it’s normal’? What have you gone through in your incontinence journey? Please share your experiences and advice with the community.

If 2020 brought us one positive thing, it’s that when it comes to beauty and fashion trends, anything goes. 2021 is about individuality more than ever. After all, 2020 is when we said goodbye to bras and hello to face masks and goodbye to hard pants and hello to sweatsuits. Who would have thought?! Tattoo and piercing trends for 2021 are just as unique. We’re all about customization this year, getting exactly what we’ve been dreaming about.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t look to our favorite celebrities for inspiration. You can take Kaia Gerber‘s snakebite piercing and add it to a conch like Keke Palmer. Or (and?) keep freeing the nipple this year with a piercing like Rihanna’s, Kristen Stewart and (allegedly) Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

Celebrity piercings are a great place to find inspo but so is Instagram. We love following the top piercers across the country to see what innovative looks they create on regular people just like us. Save these looks for when you’re able to get in to see a professional piercer to show them exactly what you were thinking. This way, you’re more likely to love the finished product.

Below, five piercing trends that are blowing up as of late and we’re sure to see in 2021.

Snakebite

Source: Instagram

Not only is this stacked piercing trend, seen on Kaia Gerber, so freaking cute, it’s also pretty practical. You see, many of us got our first ear piercing back in elementary school and maybe didn’t see the best of the best when it comes to professionals. (We’re looking at you, Claire’s.) Because of that, the placement of your hole might be in an awkward place. A snakebite piercing is an easy way to make that too-low hole look intentional. Just have your piercer place another hole right on top or below your original one.

Constellation

Source: Instagram

Not surprisingly, constellation piercings are just getting more and more popular. They’re called “constellation” because the placement vaguely looks like a grouping of stars in the sky but really, anything goes. Get creative with mixing up stacking and height, heading up to your conch or even an infinity hoop.

Conch

Source: Instagram

A conch piercing is placed in the center part of the ear and can be either an inner or outer conch style. While it might feel like everyone is getting a conch piercing, check with your piercer to make sure it’s right for you. Where the hole goes can depend on the shape of your ear. These piercings also take a long time to heal, up to even nine months, so you’ll want to talk a lot about aftercare. If you do decide to take the plunge, both a stud and a tiny hoop looks chic as hell.

Nose

Source: Instagram

While the nose piercing is nothing new, it seems both celebs and influencers are adding back in an old ring or stud to bring the look back and into 2021. Teyana Taylor plays around with different ring styles and always nails it. Even Chrissy Teigen got a new nose piercing while on vacation for John’s birthday. She said on Instagram that it didn’t go so well and the stud ended up falling out! She made sure to tag an LA-based piercer she’ll see to get it fixed.

Nipples

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP.

Since we’re going to continue shunning uncomfortable bras in 2021, why not upgrade your look with a silver bar? After not a great 2020, we see folks of all genders saying “screw it” and taking the plunge, doing something they’ve always wanted to do but maybe we’re too scared before. When safe, there’s no better time to make a decision that makes sense for your own body—and looks pretty great, too.

Keke Palmer is known for a lot of things. It really depends on where you watch her. Maybe you’ve been a fan since her True Jackson, VP days or maybe you just can’t get enough of watching Palmer’s skincare routine on Instagram. Or maybe you’re a fan of her flawless comedic timing and the way she became the best meme of 2019 with ‘Sorry to this man.’ Then, of course, there’s her music. The list could go on and on.

Now, Palmer is working as an Olay brand ambassador for the second time, adding to her long list of gigs. Because whether you’re going into an office or you’re working from home, chances are right now you’re spending a little more time alone. It’s the nature of the game for awhile. So, the least we can do is take that extra moment for ourselves. Palmer is all about that right now, especially when it comes to taking care of your skin.

“I got a chance to work with Olay last year on their hyaluronic acid ingredient in the new body wash and conditioner,” she tells STYLECASTER. “They introduced me to the topic that the skin on your body is just as important as the skin on your face. And a lot of the ingredients we use on our face are never available in body washes.” For 2021, Olay is going a step further and adding retinol to its body products with the the Cleansing & Renewing Body Wash and Rinse-off Body Conditioner with Retinol.

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Olay.

Olay added retinol to help gently exfoliate dead skin cells to leave skin feeling smoother. “It’s an upgrade to your night routine,” continues Palmer. “You’ll use the body wash first and then the conditioner, rinse it off and go to bed. You don’t really need to double-up on the moisturizer.” That’s because the line also contains moisturizing petrolatum.

“You would do it at night because your body is shedding things anyway and if you prompt it with an ingredient like retinol, it’ll help encourage that process,” she says. “We do all that cool stuff on our face, but for whatever reason, we be like, ‘who cares about the body?’ and use harsh soaps.”

Olay.

Olay.

Palmer incorporates the two products into her nighttime routine, which just like all of us, also includes a lot of TV (and a workout, of course). “Everybody now is trying to be like, ‘oh TV, I’m so above it.’ I’m not above it,” she admits. “I love TV. I want to watch every Shark Tank episode that’s every existed. As well as Survivor.”

In addition to showering with the retinol-infused body wash, she washes her faces with an ultra-mild cleanser. “I’ve been really wanting to not overdo it with products on my skin,” she says. Because skin is something Palmer has been talking about a lot lately, having revealed to her 10.2 million Instagram followers that she was diagnosed with PCOS and was dealing with one of its side effects: acne. 

Palmer took to Instagram to show how she covers her acne with makeup. She made it very clear in her caption that she did not want feedback on her routine or advice on her breakouts. She’s got it covered. Because everyone does their makeup differently and that’s okay. In fact, that uniqueness is pretty great. What if we all did a face beat exactly the same?

“That makes makeup boring. You don’t have to contour your face the same way as everybody else. You don’t have to do your brows the same way as everybody else,” she says. “I’m happy we’re getting to a place where we can say, ‘this is what works for me.’ I love that we’re allowing that for people now.”

Source: Instagram

Palmer is excited about all the diverse displays of beauty across social media. “Now, some people are still going to be mean and rude,” she says. “But [also] understanding that beauty is literally from the inside out. I feel like I’m exposing myself to the people that are understanding that. And you will get your ass blocked if that’s not what you’re about.”

“Because at the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she continues. “It’s not just perfection. Beauty is you shining from the inside out and how you present yourself to the world and you owning your beauty and having confidence in yourself.” She notes it’s really nothing different from being body confident and not body shaming others.

“You are the author of your beauty,” she says, “and no one can take that away from you.”

Most of us are familiar with goals and goal-making. For many of us, setting goals is an integral part of achievement and success. As we age, new goals begin or older ones are reviewed through a mid-life career change, personal or family issues, ill-health, divorce, bereavement and so on.

Many people swear by setting goals, but for some, it’s a challenge to maintain continued enthusiasm and motivation.

We’ve all set one goal or another at the beginning of the New Year, haven’t we? We’ve followed it, but somehow – without any idea why – we find that the motivation often dips and dies. And guess what – the goal dies along with it.

Dreaming Our Lives into Being

Dreams, however, reach deeper into our psyche. They are with us right from birth, activating something far beyond our everyday life.

If we choose to birth our dreams into everyday reality, we’ll have no problem maintaining our motivation. In my experience, when we do that we are also tapping into a passion, which means we will achieve all we set out to do.

There’s an added bonus too, because we’ll exude vitality along the way.

Imaginary Friends

During childhood many of us enjoyed living in our dream world, accessing all sorts of what parents might call ‘imaginary friends.’ I had a friend who was with me from the age of three until I was around six years of age. He was a young monk in a monastery high up in the Tibetan Himalayas. I met him in ‘my everyday reality’ 50 years later. You can read my story here.

As an adult, it can be helpful to access our dreams and ground them in our everyday world. Dreams give us access to vitality and passion, integral to living and ageing well.

They teach us how to listen to the inside of our beautiful mind as opposed to continue living in what can be a demanding and full-on, 24/7 technological world.

Living Your Childhood Dreams

I came across a lovely gentleman on Facebook recently. At 84 he is now living out his childhood dream. He loved drawing as a youngster; however, his parents had other ideas.

They encouraged him away from art and creativity and toward a career in engineering. He said, “I’ve been an engineer all my life, but inside I’m an artist.”

If you measure a successful life by material means, he was successful. However, when asked was he happy throughout his working life, the answer was in the negative.

He yearned for the creativity and freedom an artist enjoys. Of course, he dabbled a bit as a hobby. But for him, that wasn’t enough. Yet in his words: “I couldn’t disappoint my family by following my heart.”

At the age of 74 he re-activated his love for art by teaching himself how to paint. His incredible eye for detail served him well, with his copies of grand masters receiving high praise.

This man exudes vitality because he found the true meaning of his life. At 84 he is a respected artist, although for him, age is merely a number. In his mind he is in touch with something much more significant than himself.

Of course, he is! He is fulfilling his childhood dream! Consequently, his mindset, behaviour and outlook on life are full of fun, freedom and fulfilment. Not a bad accolade to live by, don’t you agree?

When Did You Stop Dreaming?

Contrary to what you might think, our world isn’t frozen in time, nor is life linear. In the world of dreams it’s common to receive flashbacks of events from our dim and distant past.

Dreams have a habit of bringing forward events that seem jumbled up, like long lost and forgotten hazy childhood days where we had not a care in our mind.

Events occur into and out of existence. Our conscious memories only remember a minimal amount of all and everything we have experienced.

The shamans from the indigenous cultures, when asked to cure a member of the community of their ills, say: “When did you stop dreaming?”

The shamans know that when we stop dreaming, singing, dancing, sharing stories using our imagination – in other words, being playful and creative and having fun – we’ve stopped living the authentic life as a human being.

Instead, we’ve restricted our freedom, shutting down our heart and mind to anything other than day-by-day routine.

Just imagine what might happen if you turned your attention inside your own beautiful mind, listened to your dreams and acted upon them!

Do you dream? Do you listen to your dreams? I’m curious to hear your thoughts, so please join the conversation!

Covid-19 might have ruined 2020 but that doesn’t mean that 2021 has to be a bad year. A new year gives you an incentive to start new healthy habits that can lead to a better and happier aging. But what activities should boomers be incorporating into their New Year’s resolution according to the latest research on brain health?

The Science Behind New Activities

You might be asking yourself, “Why should I care about brain health and incorporating new habits around it?” Well, incorporating new activities and habits can lead us to healthy aging and longevity.

More and more evidence shows that age-related cognitive decline can begin long before retirement. In particular, the early signs of Alzheimer’s can manifest in our brain more than 10 years before we start to show symptoms.

Tiny, hard, insoluble pebbles made up of a protein called beta-amyloid build up and are distributed within our brain, affecting our ability to reason and remember. There are still no effective drugs to stop this process, so the best way to fight against this is by taking an integrated approach to your overall health.

Optimizing your activities and habits in the areas of sleep, stress, exercise, diet, and cognitive activity has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of cognitive decline in at-risk older adults.

Sleep

One easy resolution you can incorporate in 2021 is to create a regular sleep schedule. We know sleep is good for us, but why is that? And why do we have to create a routine around it? Well, many people are sleep deprived and don’t get enough of the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

During sleep, we rehearse and replay our memories, and we literally clean out our brain. When we doze off, neurotoxic proteins like beta-amyloid are cleared from our brain thanks to a network of vessels called the Glymphatic system. The Glymphatic system does most of its garbage disposal at night.

The removal of these toxins reduces risk of cognitive decline and improves memory! Setting a bedtime each evening and creating a ritual with no screens an hour before bed is one simple way to keep our minds sharp.

Diet

You might’ve heard of fad diets like keto and paleo. But one healthy resolution that doesn’t involve completely cutting out carbs or sugar is to follow the Mediterranean diet. This delicious sounding diet involves high consumption of foods you probably already like: vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, cereals, and monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g., olive oil).

It also involves a moderate consumption of fish and dairy, like cheese, and lower consumption of red meat and saturated fats. In a study that tracked aging adults following the Mediterranean diet, participants’ risk of getting Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia decreased by 45%-48%!

So, go ahead and indulge with veggies, fruits, cereal, fish, nuts, chocolate, and cheese too. Not only is it a delicious way to start your new year, but also a great combination of nutrients for your noggin in the long run. Just eat all the colours of the rainbow!

Physical Activity

Did you know that exercising is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions? And there’s a good reason for that. At any age, we feel the rush of endorphins after physical activity and feel good. But as we age, exercise becomes more beneficial for our mental health and general brain function. It actually makes our brains bigger and thicker by creating more neurons.

On average, we create about 30,000 new neurons a week, but with exercise, we can generate two to three times more! These new baby neurons go to work, creating new memories, and reduce the risk of dementia and depression!

You don’t have to incorporate terribly strenuous physical activities to begin to reduce the risk of brain diseases. Committing to at least one 20-minute walk outside in nature every day is just about as good as one tough Pilates class a day. Whatever activity you choose, sticking to it can reduce your risk of cognitive decline.

Brain Training

Recalling thoughts can be a lot harder than it used to be, and it can take you a lot longer to think of what you had for breakfast than it used to. But what if I told you that brain exercises can help you remember things faster and better?

In the Advanced Cognitive Training in Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study, participants were given brain exercises to boost their reaction time and processing speed. We have more brain plasticity than we give ourselves credit for, and most people were able to react more quickly after training.

Not only did subjects boost their processing speed, it turned out that they improved their memory, and they also decreased their future risk of dementia. Over 10 years after the training program, study participants’ risk of dementia was reduced by almost half!

Taking up sports like ping pong or badminton is one way to boost your processing speed. Brain training can be scary and intimidating but making it a new year goal to just have fun with it will keep your wits in tip-top shape.

New Year, New Brain

The new year is a great opportunity to make small changes in your sleep, diet, exercise, and brain activities. Incorporating these can improve your overall brain health and decrease the risks associated with aging.

Creating a sleep routine, following a healthy diet, walking outside every day, and doing things to boost brain speed are all easy resolutions you can incorporate into your day to decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s and boost cognitive functionality.

Making New Year’s resolutions is easy. But sticking to them can be difficult. Sometimes all it takes is some support and accountability to fully commit. That’s why we created the Synaptitude brain health program.

Synaptitude can help prepare personalized strategies for you on how to optimize your sleep, diet, exercise, stress, and memory and track your progress. To learn more about the program, check out our brain health lifestyle assessment.

What’s on your New Year’s resolution? Have you included brain exercises for optimal brain health? What brain advancement programs have you researched? Have you tried any of them and what were the results? Please share with our community!