Women experience some awkward health issues "below the belt'' that can get in the way of everyday life. Those health issues include fibroids, bladder control and pelvic pain. Women can learn about these conditions and how to overcome them by attending the free MetroHealth Ladies Night Out on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The event features Jeffrey M. Mangel, MD, and Robert Pollard, MD, physicians in MetroHealth's Center for Advanced Gynecology. The center offers minimally invasive procedures and non-surgical options to help women return to their normal lifestyles as quickly as possible. This is the third MetroHealth Ladies Night Out featuring Drs. Mangel and Pollard. Following are some questions and answers submitted to the doctors at previous events.

Q. I feel as though my bladder is never really emptied. Is that possible?

A. It is possible to not completely empty your bladder. It is important to tell your doctor about these symptoms before he or she treats you.

Q. If you want to cut back on getting up at night to go to the bathroom, at what time should you cut off drinking liquids?

A. You should stop drinking liquids three hours prior to going to bed.

Q. If I lost weight and drink less water, will stress incontinence go away?

A. Weight loss can improve stress incontinence.

Q. Is there any truth in the statement that holding your urine for a long time can be bad for you?

A. No, there is no evidence that holding your urine is bad for you.

Q. My issue involves my bowels. I have daily elimination but usually need to stand and bear down, sometimes with the aid of outside pressure in the rectum area. Who do I need to see?

A. These may be symptoms of a rectocele, which is when the thin tissue wall separating the rectum from the vagina is weakened, allowing the front wall of the rectum to bulge into the vagina. This is something that a urogyneoclogist treats.