What I Learned from Kris Jenner’s Leaky Bladder Problem
How Kris Jenner Fights the Stigma of Urinary Incontinence
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Kris Jenner is a famous television personality, mostly known for starring in a reality show based on her family “Keeping Up with The Kardashians”. Jenner manages her daughter Kim Kardashians career, and produces four other reality shows. She has also dabbled in literature with several different published books. Kris Jenner is a very busy and successful woman, and on top of that she has 6 children!
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Kris Jenner lives an active lifestyle, maintaining a personal life and a career. The only thing she doesn’t do, is let incontinence control her life.
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Kris Jenner experiences stress urinary incontinence. This is the most common form of urinary incontinence among women, and men as well. According to the Women’s Health Foundation, one in three women experience stress urinary incontinence. That means 13 million Americans suffer from this condition, and it is twice as common in women. Women tend to experience bladder leakage more often than men for several reasons, pregnancy and childbirth are just a couple examples.
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Unfortunately there are even more women affected by bladder leakage who do not seek help. Many women feel ashamed. They feel old and unattractive. Women with urinary incontinence tend to avoid activities like exercise and sex, and miss out on too many public interactions. Exercise and sex are actually two very good ways to treat stress urinary incontinence! But because the stigma is so strong, women let their bladder leakage control their lives. This is why Kris Jenner is so vocal about her condition.
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Kris Jenner understands the struggle that these women go through, not just physically but emotionally. Jenner did not experience bladder leakage during pregnancy, she acquired it after vaginal delivery. Vaginal delivery is one of the top risk factors for acquiring stress urinary incontinence. She admits to feeling shame and confusion about her condition. When she sneezed, ran, and even laughed she would leak into her underwear. One time she was bouncing on a trampoline with her kids and some urine leaked out. “Everyone noticed. “I’ll never forget it,” Jenner says. “I felt really bad about it.”
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Eventually she told her friends about her symptoms, and more than half of them shared the same issues! Jenner’s friends encouraged her to seek a doctor, get treatment, and start living her life with confidence again. So that’s what she did.
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At Kris Jenner’s doctor appointment she learned just how common stress urinary incontinence is. In fact most women experience at least one form of urinary incontinence in their lifetime. Experts even go so far as to say that almost 100% of pregnant women have bladder leakage. Once she got the facts and was able to openly discuss her condition with loved ones, she regained her confidence.
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“People think they’re the only ones dealing with this,” says Jenner. “When you realize that the woman sitting next to you is probably going through the same thing, you feel less lonely.”
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Kris Jenner is now one of the top spokeswomen for Poise pads. Absorbent pad and liner companies like Poise and Depend are actively trying to spread the word that “You are not alone,” and “You do not have to suffer in silence.” They’re creating documentaries and interviewing everyday women to share their experiences with the public. Many celebrities are in these documentaries or commercials that promote absorbent supplies and information regarding bladder leakage. Thanks to celebrities like Kris Jenner, the taboo of incontinence is under siege.
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Even though Jenner still has bladder leakage, she treats it in a number of different ways so she can lead an active lifestyle. If she wants to achieve her dreams of being a producer, manager, and author she can’t let this common condition control her life! Jenner keeps her purses stuffed with pads so she is prepared for any situation. And with absorbent pads you are keeping your skin and body healthy, as well as absorbing leakage.
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“When you protect yourself, you can just take care of the problem and get back to your life,” Jenner says.
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If Kris Jenner can manage her bladder leakage with such a busy lifestyle, imagine what you can do. Jenner remains to be a popular icon who is seen as strong, successful and sexy and she’s not afraid to let everyone know it. Don’t’ be ashamed of your urinary incontinence. Embrace it, take care of it and OWN IT!