SHARES
Nona recently had a second baby. To her dismay, she noticed that she would wet her panties whenever she exercised, laughed or sneezed. It was so embarrassing that she even stopped going to the gym because it was so bad that it soaked through her track pants. Although she is well-aware that her body shape and weight will be different post-pregnancy, she wished someone could have warned her about leaky bladders. How is she going to manage this problem?
Urinary incontinence happens when bladder control is lost due to weak pelvic floor muscles. Sudden, uncontrollable strong urge to urinate may be observed. The amount of leakage varies, depending on the severity on the condition.
The most common types of urinary incontinence are:
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Stress incontinence
Urine may leak with pressure on the bladder due to laughing, sneezing or exercising. Younger women are usually affected during pregnancy or after childbirth. On the other hand, men suffer due to prostate gland removal, which disrupts the ability of the bladder to contain urine. Besides that, the surgery itself may damage the nerves that help control bladder function. Hence, incontinence can happen when the sphincter alone is unable to hold back the urine.
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Urge incontinence
Urine leakage happens after a strong, sudden urge to urinate before reaching the bathroom. This happens when the bladder muscles squeeze so hard that the sphincter can’t hold back the urine. It occurs due to faulty nerves that control the bladder muscles and urethra. Conditions that may cause nerve damage include diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, surgeries involving the bowel, lower back, prostate and the uterus (hysterectomy), may also affect nerves.
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Overflow incontinence
The urge to urinate is present, but only a small amount of urine is released. The uncontrollable, constant dribbling of urine can also be frustrating. A blockage in the urethra, such as an enlarged prostate gland or a narrow urethra, causes urine to build up in the bladder. Eventually, a full bladder causes pressure to build up, which forces the extra urine to move past the blockage and out of the bladder. Nonetheless, weak bladder muscles may also cause urine dribbling.
Some may struggle with other urinary symptoms. On top of experiencing a strong urge to urinate with pressure applied on the pelvic area, other symptoms include going to bathroom more than the usual 6-7 times in a day. Sometimes, it could be as bad as more than eight times a day, or more than twice at night. Other than that, the person may urinate while sleeping as well.
Urinary incontinence affects twice as many women as men. Pregnancy, childbirth and menopause may cause problems with muscles and nerves. Besides that, shorter urethra also makes women more prone to urinary incontinence as there is less muscle keeping the urine in. Other reasons for incontinence include being overweight, having chronic constipation, taking diuretics (water pills), drinking caffeine and suffering from infections of urinary tract and bladder.
Tips to Improve Urinary Incontinence
These simple actions may improve or cease urinary incontinence altogether. While these actions do not seem significant, many people do find them helpful.
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Kegel Exercises
This exercise is especially helpful for weakened pelvic floor muscles in stress incontinence. Four in ten women experienced symptoms improvement after trying Kegels. Nevertheless, it may take 4 to 6 weeks before noticeable improvements are observed.
Learn: Kegel Exercise Essentials to Better Bladder Control [Urinary Incontinence – Part 2]
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Bladder Training
Train the bladder by visiting the bathroom at designated timing to improve urge incontinence. Track how often you visit the bathroom with a bladder diary. Then, slowly extend 15 minutes in between bathroom visits. Make sure to urinate during each visit, regardless of whether the urge to go is present. The desired outcome is — your bladder learns to hold more urine before it signals the need to go again.
Maintain Healthy Weight
Extra weight puts more pressure on the bladder and the nearby muscles, which can lead to loss of bladder control. Choosing healthy food and exercising moderately helps to lose weight. Remember to seek help from professionals if needed.
Read more: Debunking 7 Weight Loss Myths with Eye-opening Facts
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Avoid Substances that Promotes Production of Urine (Diuretics)
Drinks with caffeine, carbonation or alcohol may make urinary incontinence worse. Thus, stopping these drinks may be beneficial in improving leaky bladder. However, do not attempt to drink less water to prevent dehydration. Furthermore, drinking enough water keeps the kidneys and bladder healthy, prevents urinary infection and constipation.
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Quit Smoking
Long-time smokers may suffer from chronic cough. Coughing exerts pressure on the pelvic muscles, causing them to weaken, hence increasing the risk of stress incontinence. Additionally, smokers also experience more frequent urges to use the restroom, as smoking irritates the bladder. Even more alarming, smoking can also lead to bladder cancer.
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Treat Constipation
A full bowel from constipation can press on the bladder, reducing the amount of urine the bladder can hold, which leads to more toilet trips. Moreover, straining due to constipation can decrease the strength of pelvic floor muscles, which makes urinary incontinence worse. Regardless, you can resolve constipation by increasing fibre intake and hydration, as well as regular exercise.
What the Doctor can do for You
Your GP may refer you to a specialist (urologist), or if you’re a woman, to a gynaecologist who is trained to treat bladder problems in women (urogynaecologist). Depending on each individual’s case, treatments range from medications, medical devices, interventional therapies or surgery.
Conclusion
Urinary incontinence, or leakage of urine, is a common condition. Tips including Kegel exercises, bladder training and healthy lifestyle can be helpful in relieving this condition. Consult your doctor too, for further evaluation and treatment.
Further reads: Kegel Exercise Essentials to Better Bladder Control [Urinary Incontinence – Part 2]
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by Joanne Lee
Multipotentialite. Loves creating and seeing ideas come alive. View all articles by Joanne Lee.
