How To Prevent Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a major health issue that holds a considerable social and economic impact on the affected person’s life. There are certain ways through which this condition can be prevented. Read below to know how to prevent urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is not a disease on its own, rather is a symptom of other problems. In young women, severe incontinence has got a low prevalence, however, it increases rapidly at the age of 70-80 years. In the case of men, the prevalence of urinary incontinence is comparatively lower than in women.⁽¹⁾

Being hydrated and drinking plenty of water is one of the most crucial things that can help you prevent urinary incontinence. When you drink enough water or other liquids, your urine would be pale yellow and you would be urinating every few hours. Make sure you drink water based on your activity level, your body size, and the place where you live.

NOTE: Do not drink an excess of water if you have kidney or heart failure.

One more important thing that can help you prevent urinary incontinence is the food you eat and your eating habits. You should follow a healthy eating plan. However, there is no direct evidence that links nutrition to making the condition of urinary incontinence worse or better.

But, many individuals find that spicy food, chocolate, caffeinated and carbonated beverages, artificial sweeteners, and alcohol, along with highly acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits can contribute to irritation and inflammation of the bladder and can result in urinary incontinence. So, it is better to avoid these drinks and foods and see if you find improvement in your symptoms.

NOTE: Talk to a certified dietitian to know about a healthy eating plan.

You should try to maintain a healthy weight, especially if you are obese or overweight. This is because maintaining a healthy weight might reduce your chances of preventing urinary incontinence. If you become obese or gain excessive weight then there are chances that you might develop urinary incontinence and other diseases like diabetes.

If you are a regular smoker, quit smoking. Smoking is bad for your bladder and overall health. It increases your chances of developing stress incontinence and also results in bladder cancer. So to prevent urinary incontinence, quit smoking.

Many times, we delay using the bathroom or urinating due to various reasons. However, you should make sure that to prevent urinary incontinence you must go to the bathroom when you need to go. Regularly holding urine can wear out the muscles of your bladder and you might also develop bladder infections and urinary incontinence. You should also try to empty your bladder when you urinate.

Apart from this, you should also make sure that before using the toilet, the toilet seat is properly cleaned so that you do not get an infection.

Another way to prevent urinary incontinence is by doing pelvic floor exercises. These exercises are also known as Kegel exercises. We have pelvic floor muscles which help us to hold urine in the bladder. By regularly doing pelvic floor exercises, these muscles get stronger and keep the urine from leaking while we cough, laugh, sneeze, or vomit.

A review has confirmed that pelvic floor muscle exercises are essential in treating urinary stress incontinence in case of females. Many studies have found that there has been up to 70% of improvement in symptoms of stress incontinence when appropriate pelvic floor exercises are performed daily.⁽²⁾

Constipation can worsen urinary tract health and cause urinary incontinence. So, you should try to avoid constipation, which would help in preventing urinary incontinence. For this, add more fiber-rich foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and drink an excess of water, and remain physically active.

So, by now you might be aware of some of the ways to prevent urinary incontinence. This health issue could indeed be a major issue in anyone’s life and it is important to prevent it from occurring. However, in case you are already dealing with urinary incontinence, we would suggest you take immediate medical help, and go for appropriate diagnosis and treatment to prevent further complications.

References:

Also Read:

• Urinary Incontinence: Causes, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Treatment, Lifestyle Modifications
• Urinary Incontinence Treatment in the Elderly
• What Is The Difference Between Urge Urinary Incontinence & Functional Urinary Incontinence?
• What Are The Types Of Urinary Incontinence?
• What Causes Mixed Urinary Incontinence & How To Cure It?
• What Is Reflex Urinary Incontinence & What Is Stress Urinary Incontinence?