Millions of Americans suffer from urinary incontinence, otherwise known as a “leaky bladder”. It’s more prevalent in women since 1 in 2 women experience urinary incontinence and only 1 in 4 men do. If the fear of leaking urine in public is stopping you from leading a normal life, it’s time to discuss treatment options with your doctor. There are natural treatments for incontinence as well as medical options available and it’s always smart to know all the options available to you to make the best decision for you.
So let’s get into 9 of the most common solutions for a leaky bladder…
Natural Solutions For A Leaky Bladder:
#1: Change Your Diet
You may be able to control your leaky bladder if you make some diet changes and cut out certain foods that irritate your bladder. Some of these foods include artificial sweeteners, caffeine, citrus fruits and tomatoes, and spicy-hot foods.
#2: Lose Weight
Being overweight can weaken your pelvic floor muscles because of the extra pressure on your bladder. If you lose even 10 to 20 pounds, you could improve some of your urinary incontinence symptoms.
#3: Drink Plenty of Water
While you make think you should avoid fluids if you have incontinence, you actually need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water. Limiting fluids reduces your bladder’s capacity and makes constipation worse, while drinking water helps you prevent other kinds of bladder and vaginal infections.
#4: Retrain Your Bladder
One of the ways to treat urinary incontinence is to retrain your bladder. Start by delaying urination by 10 minutes when you get the urge and eventually work up to only going to the bathroom every 2.5 to 3 hours. It’s recommended to schedule going to the bathroom every few hours, instead of waiting for the urge to go.
#5: Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises help to strengthen your pelvic floor and control urination. They’re used primarily for stress urinary incontinence, but they may also relieve urge incontinence too. To do Kegels, contract your pelvic floor muscles that’d use to stop the flow of urine and then relax them. Hold each count for 5 seconds and work up to three sets of 10 daily.
#6: Belly Dancing
Many women love belly dancing because it’s sexy and fun. It’s also one of the most effective exercise programs to strengthen the pelvic floor and core muscles. It can get tedious doing Kegel exercises daily so this lets you have fun and stop worrying about urine leaking.
Medical Solutions For A Leaky Bladder:
While we prefer natural treatments for urinary continence, there are medical options available to treat continence if needed. Below are some of the most common medical treatments.
#7: Medications
Medications can calm and relax an overactive bladder. The medication is primarily for urge incontinence since it relaxes your bladder, making it easier for your bladder to hold more urine. It allows you to fully empty your bladder, reducing the number of trips you take to the bathroom.
#8: Botox Injections
If medication doesn’t work to correct your leaky bladder, your doctor may try injecting Botox into the lining of your bladder. It blocks the release of the chemical that causes muscle contractions.
#9: Surgical Options
No one wants to get surgery, and in most cases, this can be avoided. Some common surgical treatments include creating a mesh sling around your urethra to treat stress urinary incontinence.
These solutions will help you live with and treat your incontinence. We’re all in this together.
