Six Ways to Stop the Leak Caused by Post Micturition Dribble (PMD)

Have you ever found yourself struggling to relieve the last dribbles of urine at the urinal, leading to unintentional urine leakage? It can feel embarrassing and frustrating to deal with uncontrolled residual urine issues when going to the toilet. We’re here to help, and let you know that you are not alone. 

1 in 10 men in Australia will deal with some kind of bladder control issue in their lifetime, including conditions like overflow incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, and post micturition dribble (PMD). 

Today, we’re talking all things PMD, to give you tips to deal with your urinary symptoms and live life leak-free! Read on to learn more.

Signs You May Have PMD

If you are a man who is unsure if PMD is a condition that affects you, consider if any of the following has happened to you: 

  • Do you frequently notice small wet patches in the crotch of your pants?
  • Do you find yourself standing at the urinal long after urinating, to ensure everything is out? 
  • Have you ever considered adding an absorbent pad or patch to underwear?
  • Do you sometimes limit fluid intake to avoid urine accidents?

If any of those scenarios sound familiar, there is a chance that you are dealing with PMD, a condition that deserves proper diagnosis and treatment.

What is Post Micturition Dribble?

Post Micturition Dribble (PMD), also called after-dribble, is an issue where men will struggle with the involuntary loss of urine immediately after regular urination. 

This condition is one that can affect both women and men, but men are the group most affected, impacting around 12% of men compared to 8.5% of women. 

This dysfunction is noted by the most common post micturition symptom: involuntary loss of urine. This can be paired with the desire to urinate more frequently than normal, or feelings of strain while urinating.

What Causes Post Micturition Dribble?

There are many different conditions and risk factors that can make the development of PMD more likely. These include: 

  • Prostate cancer and/or prostate surgery 
  • Strain on the bowels/constipation
  • Coughing
  • Weight gain
  • Nerve damage
  • Heavy lifting
  • Age 
  • Weakened pelvic floor

Pelvic Floor Health in Males

While there are a number of things that can cause PMD, we want to draw special attention to the importance of pelvic floor muscle health, especially in males. When we talk about pelvic floor health, the conversation usually centres around women, but it’s just as relevant to men! 

As you age, it’s natural for pelvic floor muscles to weaken, which can often lead to conditions like PMD. With the right help, it’s possible to work on your weakened pelvic floor muscles using pelvic floor exercises, to give you better bladder control. 

We highly recommend addressing pelvic floor weakness with the assistance of a physio-focused healthcare professional if you think you have PMD. If pelvic floor weakness is the cause of your PMD, which it often is, then the right pelvic floor muscle exercise will be needed in order to address it.

Six Tips to Stop PMD Leaks

If you’re ready to leave PMD behind, we have some pointers to help you out! We highly recommend trying to use the following tips, in conjunction with reaching out to a medical professional.

1. Sit Down to Empty Your Bladder

Our first tip is to try urinating sitting down on the toilet, rather than standing at a urinal, when you can. Doing so can help to relax pelvic muscles, and help you to fully empty the bladder more effectively.

2. Try Urethral Milking

Urethral milking is one of the more common methods used to address PMD. You can use this quick trick to help assist a more steady flow of urine from the urethra. 

To do this, after urinating, place your fingertips (3 wide) behind your scrotum, pushing upwards and forwards. Repeat this motion twice while urinating to ensure all urine is expelled.

3. Wait Longer After Urinating

If you frequently experience urine leakage, try to wait just a bit longer after urinating to ensure all urine has exited your system.

4. Don’t Urinate Too Often

People who struggle with this issue may be tempted to go to the toilet more often, urinating “just in case” to avoid potential accidents. This could actually make the issue worse as it weakens your bladder by training it not to store as much urine.

5. Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is good for health overall, but can also help you avoid PMD issues. Smoking can lead to lots of excessive coughing which, over time, weakens pelvic floor muscles.

6. Reach Out for Help

Finally, if the tips above are not enough to relieve you of your PMD symptoms, it may be time to seek medical help from a pelvic physio clinic or your GP.

Getting Treatment for PMD

If you’ve exhausted efforts on your own to address PMD symptoms, it may be time for professional help. Here’s what will happen when you reach out for medical help with PMD.

How PMD is Diagnosed

There are two common strategies used to assess a person for PMD and make a formal diagnosis. These are: 

Physical Exam: A physical exam may be performed, which will include an external perennial assessment, and/or an internal rectal examination. This is done to see how effective your pelvic floor muscles are. 

Ultrasound: An ultrasound of the bladder may also be done to see if the bladder is emptying completely after urination, or leaving residual volume after urinating.

How Medical Professionals Treat PMD

Once a PMD diagnosis has been made, your healthcare professional can develop a treatment plan unique to you. While these will differ from case to case, a majority of them will involve some type of pelvic floor exercise, to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. These include: 

  • Pelvic floor muscle release training
  • Biofeedback transperineal ultrasounds to correct pelvic floor contractions
  • Bulbourethral massage to clean urine from the urethra. 

These physical therapy approaches, along with the tips we outlined above, should do wonders to build pelvic floor strength, and help to end your PMD issues.

Reach Out to Sydney Pelvic Clinic

If you believe you have PMD, the team at Sydney Pelvic Clinic is prepared to help you address the issue. Click here to book an appointment today!

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