FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allison Wilfong, (843) 377-0900 x 208 or awilfong@nafc.org
The National Association for Continence (NAFC) was established in 1982 by Katherine F. Jeter, EdD. NAFC is now the world’s largest and most prolific consumer advocacy organization dedicated to public education, collaboration and advocacy to help people who struggle with incontinence, voiding dysfunction, nocturnal enuresis, and related pelvic floor disorders. Incontinence is very personal and affects as many as 25 million Americans - young and elderly, male and female, many of whom never seek treatment and allow their condition to alter their lifestyle. NAFC’s commitment to disseminating information is one way to let consumers know that they are not alone and there is treatment available.
Incontinence (in-CONT-ti-nunce), or loss of bladder or bowel control, is a symptom - not a disease in itself. A broad range of conditions and disorders can cause incontinence, including birth defects, pelvic surgery, injuries to the pelvic region or to the spinal cord, neurological diseases, multiple sclerosis, poliomyelitis (viral infection that affects the nervous system), infection, and degenerative changes associated with aging. It can also occur as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. There are many different types of incontinence, and an individual may suffer from more than just one type. Incontinence is treatable and help is available for everyone. Depending on diagnosis from a healthcare professional who specializes in incontinence, they can help chose the best treatment option. Treatment may be as simple as diet changes like avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Many types of treatments are available and they range from behavioral therapy, like avoiding cigarettes or scheduled toileting, pharmacological therapy, or surgical treatment. There are more and more management options being developed to help incontinence.
Since new information is always being released and discovered about incontinence, NAFC is constantly creating new publications. For only $25 annually, a NAFC subscription includes Quality Care®, a quarterly newsletter that includes helpful information about causes and treatments for incontinence. It also includes Resource Guide®: Products and Services for Incontinence, a complete directory of incontinence products and other services; Discoveries ®, a companion to the Resource Guide®, this publication list the latest products and innovations for treatment and continence care management; access to NAFC’s Continence Resource Service, a database of health care professionals who specialize in treating incontinence; Subscribers Only Web site Access, allowing you access to the newsletter, Resource Guide®, and Discoveries® online, and the ability to download NAFC leaflets free of charge; and Your Personal Guide to Bladder Health, a thorough booklet covering a variety of topics from diet and daily habits to pelvic muscle exercises. NAFC believes that the more information one has the better one can understand this condition, manage the impact it has on one’s life, and restore the quality of life.
In the future NAFC hopes to reach and educate more and more people not only in the English speaking community, but the Spanish speaking as well. NAFC currently has a Hispanic Outreach Program that includes a public service announcement in heavily Spanish speaking areas and leaflets available in Spanish. NAFC’s mission continues to be one of consumer advocacy, education of the public, and information dissemination through collaboration and networking for the benefit of those with incontinence. More information about NAFC is available on the web, www.nafc.org, and toll free by phone: 1-800-BLADDER; 1-800-252-3337.
