Urinary incontinence is the term used to describe the loss of bladder control among adults. This condition causes involuntary urination, which can be triggered by sneezing or coughing and sudden movements. Meanwhile, some struggle to completely empty their bladder after each urination, causing the leftover liquid to dribble without control. Because urinary incontinence may be challenging to manage, it’s essential to seek treatment and make lifestyle changes to counter its symptoms right away.
Incontinence can be caused by several factors, including urinary tract infection (UTI), constipation, pregnancy and vaginal birth, menopause, and aging. Depending on the severity of the condition and its causes, there are specific steps that you can take to help you manage urinary incontinence effectively and avoid embarrassing or uncomfortable situations.
Here are some of them:
In This Article
1. Use Pads And Protective Garments
One of the significant challenges of having urinary incontinence is its detrimental effects on one’s lifestyle.
For instance, those who suffer from involuntary urination may struggle with doing their day-to-day activities. Moreover, leaving the house for extended periods may be incredibly taxing as it risks having leaks and accidents in public places.
To minimize disruption in your lifestyle, you’ll need to use adult pads or diapers that can help you prevent leaks when you lose bladder control. Wearing protective pads will allow you to be on the move for hours and engage in physical activities without worrying about getting your clothes wet or urinating unexpectedly. For instance, you can consider wearing swimming diapers for adults if you want to go swimming without the risk of leaking urine in the water.
With pads and protective garments, you can go back to your previous routine in no time.
2. Maintain A Healthy Weight
Obesity increases the risk of urinary incontinence, and this is why it’s vital to maintain a healthy weight to prevent it or manage its symptoms. Also, certain medications for heart ailments and high blood pressure may have diuretic effects, triggering involuntary urination.
By maintaining a healthy weight, it’s possible to manage both incontinence and obesity-related conditions effectively.
3. Limit Caffeine Consumption
Apart from medications, food and drinks containing high caffeine levels can also trigger incontinence.
Caffeine is a well-known diuretic, a substance that stimulates the bladder and increases urine production. Hence, it’s essential to limit your consumption of caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee, and soda to prevent loss of bladder control.
4. Improve Your Drinking Habits
Depending on the cause of urinary incontinence, your doctor may recommend how much fluid you can drink during the day to make the symptoms more manageable. Therefore, apart from avoiding caffeinated drinks, you may have to control your water intake during the day to minimize involuntary urination.
Moreover, you might also have to restrict your water consumption hours before bed to prevent accidents while you sleep. Doing so can also help you sleep better at night and avoid losing sleep due to frequent urination.
5. Cut Back On Nicotine
If you’re smoking, you may need to cut back on your cigarette consumption or find alternatives that could help you minimize your nicotine intake to manage incontinence better. Doing so will lessen the toxins from vaping or smoking cigarettes that enter your system, which irritates the bladder and triggers urination.
6. Strengthen Your Pelvic Muscles
Pregnancy and vaginal delivery can weaken bladder control due to the added pressure on the pelvic muscles. Apart from this, childbirth can also damage some of the bladder nerves and surrounding tissue, making the pelvic floor drop.
To prevent this, you can do pelvic floor exercises that can help strengthen your pelvic muscles and avoid incontinence during pregnancy.
7. Consult Your Doctor
In most cases, symptoms of urinary incontinence may cause you to limit your activities and interactions with others. These significant lifestyle and socialization changes may be detrimental to your quality of life and other aspects of your well-being. If involuntary urination gets in the way of your daily living, it may be best to consult with your doctor and explore your treatment options.
Meanwhile, patients who experience minor incontinence symptoms may need to adopt specific lifestyle changes and habit adjustments to avoid inconveniences until they heal.
On the other hand, extreme cases of urinary incontinence may require medication, therapy, or surgery. For example, those with weakened muscles around the bladder have surgical options such as vaginal mesh surgery, artificial sphincter insertions, or urethral bulking agents.
Conclusion
Managing urinary incontinence may be challenging at first, especially for those struggling with extreme symptoms. However, it’s possible to overcome these challenges if you consult a doctor who can help you get hold of your condition effectively. For instance, you’ll need to be open to specific lifestyle changes to improve your health and eventually recover from involuntary urination. Also, seeking medical treatment to help you gain more bladder control may help you attain long-term recovery.
