Controlling Urinary Incontinence: 5 Healthy Habits
To control urinary incontinence in a natural way, a few simple habits can be applied in the routine. Do you know them? Take note!
Urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control is a disorder whose main characteristic is the inability to retain urine. Managing urinary incontinence can be difficult, as leaks can occur sporadically when coughing or sneezing, but they can also be constant and sudden.
Its appearance is related to the loss of muscle tone that occurs during old age. However, it could also result from certain habits, infections or diseases. Furthermore, it is also common during pregnancy. How can it be controlled at home?
Although in some cases a pharmacological treatment is suggested, in general there are simple habits that support its control. Next, we want to go over its main symptoms and the best recommendations to stop its progression naturally.
What are the symptoms of urinary incontinence?
The main clinical manifestation of urinary incontinence is involuntary urine leakage. Often these occur when coughing, sneezing or laughing. They are also constant when lifting heavy objects or doing any overexertion. Other symptoms include:
- Urgent and constant need to urinate.
- Feeling of pelvic pressure.
- The urge to urinate several times at night or nighttime urine leaks.
- Depression and anxiety.
- Genital pain and irritation (in case of infection).
Healthy habits to control urinary incontinence
Currently there are several types of therapies that help alleviate urinary incontinence. However, before resorting to medications or surgery, it is best to apply some healthy habits that help reduce symptoms and control urinary incontinence . Let’s see the most important:
1. Do Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises are activities that focus on strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. These help control urinary incontinence.
Contrary to what you might think, they are not just for women. Men can benefit from them too. Its usual practice helps to achieve better control over the bladder, minimizing urine leakage due to urinary incontinence.
What should you do?
- Imagine that you are trying to stop the flow of urine. Then tense your muscles and hold the contraction for five seconds.
- Now, relax them for five more seconds and do 10 reps.
- Later, when you master the technique, try to hold the contractions for up to 10 seconds.
2. Train the bladder
Another habit to control urinary incontinence is bladder training. This is a plan that is carried out with the objective of establishing hourly guidelines for emptying. It involves delaying urination a little after feeling the urge to go to the bathroom, to strengthen the pelvic floor.
What should you do?
- When you feel like urinating, try to hold your urine for 5-10 minutes.
- Then, try to lengthen the time until it is only necessary to go to the bathroom every 3 hours.
3. Consume enough water
Although many prefer to avoid water consumption for fear of leaking urine, it is best to ensure good hydration. Drinking plenty of fluids not only optimizes kidney work, but also prevents inflammation of the bladder tissues.
On the other hand, it prevents urine from presenting strong odors by preventing dehydration. However, if it is taken in excess or before going to bed, it can cause discomfort and interfere with your night’s rest.
What should you do?
- Drink up to 8 glasses of water a day. If you prefer, you can have a few cups of healthy drinks such as herbal teas or juices. Of course, verify that they do not have counterproductive effects for these cases.
- Also, try to cut this habit 2-3 hours before going to bed.
4. Avoid irritating products
There are foods and drinks that contain components that make bladder irritation worse. Although they are not a direct cause of urinary incontinence, they can make your symptoms worse. Therefore, to improve the prognosis, the ideal is to eliminate them from the diet.
What should you do?
- Avoid products that contain caffeine, including coffee.
- Do not add hot spices in your preparations.
- Limit the consumption of citrus juices and chocolate.
- Also, avoid consuming alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.
5. Lose weight
People who are overweight and obese are more vulnerable to developing early urinary incontinence. This is because excess weight puts pressure on the bladder and surrounding muscles, making it difficult to control urine.
It is very important to follow a plan to lose weight, since the “extra pounds” make it difficult to treat the disease. Although it is not easy to achieve it, there are many strategies that help to achieve the objective.
What should you do?
- Consult with a health and nutrition professional to determine the best weight loss diet for you.
- You can also choose to practice sports activities.
In summary, to promote the relief of urinary incontinence it is essential to train the pelvic floor and ensure a healthy weight. When the disease is chronic, it is necessary to go to professional therapies so that it does not affect the quality of life.
