Channel 4 Embarrassing Bodies, series 2 Teenage bodies episode 1 (8th July 2009)
The popular Channel 4 TV programme, Embarrassing Bodies showed the tears of a young woman sufferer while the programme addressed the issue of female urinary incontinence and followed Mr Zaki Almallah Consultant Urologist at Birmingham and Solihull Bladder Clinic performing diagnostic tests on Indra to correct her urinary incontinence.
Indra, aged just nineteen had been suffering from incontinence for six years. Her life had been severely affected by not being able to control her bladder, particularly when she laughed or sneezed, and constantly needed to look for the nearest toilet when out shopping and away from the house as she couldn’t control her need to urinate. She felt that she was a teenager living the life of an elderly person and it was making her life very difficult,
After a consultation with a GP on the Channel 4 Embarrassing Bodies programme, she was referred to Mr. Zaki Almallah, Consultant Urologist at The Birmingham and Solihull Bladder Clinic, who specialises in urinary incontinence.
The first steps for Mr. Almallah were to give his new patient a bladder pressure test (urodynamics) which replicated Indra’s symptoms in a controlled environment to determine what treatment would be suitable to control the incontinence. The Urodynamics test is a bladder pressure study which was linked to a computer so that Mr Almallah could assess how the bladder fills and empties. After tubes were passed into the rectum and urethra, the bladder was filled to bursting point for the assessment to take place.
During the test Indra was very emotional, that after six years of suffering and having her life severely affected by her incontinence, that she was finally going to get some answers as to why she had been suffering from incontinence since she was just thirteen years old.
Immediately after the test Indra’s questions as to why she was suffering from incontinence were answered by Mr Almallah.
Fortunately the urodynamics tests showed that her bladder was a normal size and shape and Mr Almallah’s diagnosis was Indra was suffering from laugh induced incontinence and her course of treatment would be bladder re-training and a course of simple medication.
Six weeks later Indra had a follow up consultation with the GP from the Embarrassing Bodies programme. She was extremely pleased on the dramatic improvement her treatment programme which Mr Almallah had recommended had had upon her life, including taking prescribed medication for four weeks.
She was not having to use the toilet as frequently and had much more control over her bladder. She felt much more relaxed and happier, and was able to leave the house without having to worry about finding the nearest toilet!
To watch an extract from the programme please follow the link http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/
Please note that the programme contains medical nudity and surgical images.