How Do I Treat Incontinence?

Many people deal with incontinence and try to treat it on their own. However, treating urinary incontinence can vary wildly depending on the nature of your leakage. So, if you are constantly having to pee or have urinary leakage often, try implementing some of these treatments into your daily routine.

Bladder Training and Scheduling Bathroom Trips

One of the ways you can treat incontinence is by training your bladder to hold your urine. You will want to hold your liquids even when you have a sudden urge to pee. This will train your body to treat incontinence by not giving in every time you have a sudden urge to go. It will also help if you schedule bathroom breaks. You can schedule bathroom breaks every 2 to 4 hours to train your body away from constantly going to the bathroom. This scheduling method helps you plan your day around going to the restroom. It’s also about training your body to deal with incontinence. If you have already tried implementing this into your routine and it’s not working, you need to see a urologist.

Pelvic Exercises, High Impact Exercises, and Losing Weight

Pelvic exercises have been shown to help treat incontinence. However, results may not show up until 6 months after you start the exercises. Exercises such as Bridges and Kegels can help alleviate stress on your pelvic muscles. Make sure to take time in getting your form right; consult a personal trainer if you are new to working out. Also, high impact workouts that incorporate the pelvic region can help you as well. A workout such as jumping jacks or burpees can be high impact enough to make a difference. Whichever option you choose for working out, the important thing to remember is that overall weight loss can help your urinary system. When you lose weight, you put less strain on your muscles and are less susceptible to injury. If you are new to working out, start slow and consult with a personal trainer and with a urologist on exercise goals. Specifically, your urologist can come up with an exercise plan to stop leaks and treat incontinence. 

Managing Fluids and Diet

When treating incontinence there may be certain fluids and foods that irritate your bladder. This can cause leakage and sudden urges to go to the bathroom. You will want to cut down on food or fluids that may irritate your bladder such as alcohol or caffeine. Avoiding foods that are acidic or spicy can help you control your bladder. You can also lose weight by adjusting your calorie intake. We recommend this approach to weight loss if you are new to working out. That way the burden is not placed so much on the physical task, but manageable eating habits. Either way will help you lose weight and treat incontinence. This can also keep your prostate healthy.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is going to make you cough, which in turn, could make you leak urine. You can treat incontinence by knocking out this bad habit. Coughing puts a strain on your pelvic muscles and, in turn, makes it harder to recover from a weak bladder. However, quitting smoking will not only treat incontinence but will stop the damaging of your lungs. 

Are you struggling with how to treat incontinence? Incontinence can be beaten and we can help. At Northwoods Urology we are a judgment-free center dedicated to helping our patients. Contact us today and let’s work together to make your life better.