Incontinence is a common condition adults face as they age. Even though it’s not a severe condition, it affects your social relationships and self-esteem. The condition refers to involuntary leakage or loss of urine. Among women, the condition is mainly caused by the effect of childbirth. Conversely, treatment of prostate illness among men is said to increase the chance of contracting the condition.
According to research, most studies show that more than 300 million people globally suffer from urinary incontinence. However, the number might be slightly higher, considering that most people do not see the doctor or discuss the condition with their peers.
Managing this condition can be frustrating and time-consuming. Regardless, you do not have to fret. This article will help you get solutions to have control over incontinence.
Buy Protective Products
Sometimes after treatment, you may experience regular urine leakages. Be sure to buy enough protective products to help you cope with urine leaks. Protective products such as washable underwear for incontinence will come in handy to absorb the urine and boost your confidence while living with incontinence. Alternatively, you can use pads or large disposable diapers to protect your chairs and bedding from urine.
Watch Your Diet
Eating healthy foods can reduce factors that heighten the chances of developing incontinence. If you already suffer from this condition, you may avoid certain foods and drinks to see if the symptoms will reduce. For instance, drinking alcohol will make you urinate often. Therefore, cutting down its intake will reduce incontinence symptoms.
Again, Spicy foods and some citrus fruits like lemons are mostly linked to incontinence. If you have an overactive bladder, these foods will stress and irritate your urinary tract hence causing a frequent urge to urinate. Though they may not affect everyone, you need to discover and avoid your triggers.
So what should go in your diet? Always opt for non-acidic fruits such as bananas, watermelons, and coconuts since they suit the bladder. They do not irritate the walls of the urinary tract. Additionally, vegetables and fiber foods are also important since they help prevent constipation which exerts extra pressure on the bladder leading to incontinence.
Train your bladder
You can control your bladder by scheduling time to urinate. For instance, you can set a plan to urinate after every two hours rather than waiting for the urge. With time, you can adjust the schedule to extend the time between the toilet breaks.
Second, you can practice delaying urination after the urge. The main goal is to train the bladder to hold urine longer. So, hold off the urine for 5 minutes after the urge for some time until you urinate every 2-3 hours. This tactic will help you control intense urination urges, especially when you are not near the toilet.
Third, strictly follow a fluid schedule. A fluid schedule will help you know when to take water. Always take enough water during the day to avoid being dehydrated. Also, limit water after 7 p.m. to avoid night trips and incontinence. Drinking little water will have your urine highly concentrated, causing bladder irritation. In contrast, consuming excess water during the day will increase the urge to urinate and cause leakages.
Finally, to regain control over your bladder, you need to reduce alcohol, carbonated drinks, and caffeine intake. These fluids irritate the bladder and are challenging to process, hence increasing the urge to urinate every time.
Do Daily Pelvic Floor Exercises
Pelvic floor muscles will help you hold urine for a longer duration. The exercise will strengthen the pelvic muscles to prevent urine from leaking when walking or sneezing. Again, the pelvic floor exercise will tighten and relax muscles, suppressing the urgency when it occurs and helping you get to the toilet before the leak.
According to research, women who practiced pelvic floor exercises experienced fewer leaks compared to those who didn’t do the exercise. Therefore, don’t wait until you suffer the condition so that you practice these exercises. Do them regularly. However, consult a healthcare professional if you are unsure of the kegel exercise.
Quit Smoking
Research by World Health Organization in 2020 indicates that 22.3% of the global population consumed tobacco. Prevalence of incontinence is closely correlated with smoking. Ex and current smokers have increased prevalence compared to non-smokers.
While pelvic floor exercise has been used to strengthen urination muscles, quitting smoking is among the best ways to keep these muscles healthy and strong. Smoking weakens the pelvic muscles and ends up exerting a lot of pressure on the bladder. The bladder then becomes weak, no longer holds urine for long, and increases urgency symptoms associated with an overactive bladder. Therefore, quitting Smoking will contribute immensely to controlling incontinence.
Wrapping up
Incontinence is a widespread and prevalent condition, yet people don’t talk about it due to the stigma that comes along with it. People are embarrassed to discuss the condition with even doctors. At some point in life, one may likely experience this condition. Therefore don’t be embarrassed to express yourself to medical personnel or family members for help.
The above solutions can help manage and control incontinence. Ensure you work with a healthcare professional to find the right treatment plan. You will lead a more comfortable and fulfilling life.
