Urinary Incontinence
Alternate Names : Incontinence - Urinary, Loss of Bladder Control, Uncontrollable Urination, Urination - Uncontrollable
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Urinary Incontinence: Home Care & Treatment
See your doctor for an initial evaluation and to come up with a treatment plan. Treatment options vary, depending on the cause and type of incontinence you have. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help manage incontinence.
The following methods are used to strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor:
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Bladder retraining -- this involves urinating on a schedule, whether you feel a need to go or not. In between those times, you try to wait to the next scheduled time. At first, you may need to schedule 1 hour intervals. Gradually, you can increase by 1/2 hour intervals until you are only urinating every 3 to 4 hours without leakage in between.
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Kegel exercises -- contract the pelvic floor muscles for 10 seconds and then relax them for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Do these exercises three times per day. You can do Kegel exercises any time, any place. No one will know.
To find the pelvic muscles when you first start Kegel exercises, stop your urine flow midstream. The muscles needed to do this are your pelvic floor muscles. DO NOT contract your abdominal, thigh, or buttocks muscles. And DO NOT overdo the exercises. This may tire the muscles out and actually worsen incontinence.
In addition, two methods called biofeedback and electrical stimulation can help you learn how to perform Kegel exercises. Biofeedback uses electrodes placed on the pelvic floor muscles, giving you feedback about when they are contracted and when they are not. Electrical stimulation uses low-voltage electric current to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles. It can be done at home or at a clinic for 20 minutes every 1 to 4 days.
Biofeedback and electrical stimulation will no longer be necessary once you have identified the pelvic floor muscles and mastered the exercises on your own.
Vaginal cones help enhance the performance of Kegel exercises for women. Other devices for incontinence are also available.
For leakage and small amounts of spillage, wear absorbent pads or undergarments. There are many well-designed products on the market that go completely unnoticed by anyone but you.
Other measures to take include:
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Regulate your bowels to avoid constipation. Try increasing fiber in your diet.
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Quit smoking to reduce coughing and irritation to the bladder. Smoking also increases your risk of bladder cancer.
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Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages, particularly coffee, which can overstimulate your bladder.
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Lose weight if you need to.
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Avoid foods and drinks that may irritate your bladder like spicy foods, carbonated beverages, and citrus fruits and juices.
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Keep blood sugars under good control if you have diabetes.
Your doctor may recommend medications or surgery, especially if home care measures are not helping or if your symptoms are getting worse.
Medications that may be prescribed include drugs that relax the bladder, increase bladder muscle tone, or strengthen the sphincter.
Surgery may be required to relieve an obstruction or deformity of the bladder neck and urethra. Uterine or pelvic suspension operations are sometimes needed in women. Men may require prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland). Incontinence can sometimes be managed by artificial sphincters. These are synthetic cuffs that are surgically placed around the urethra to help retain urine.
If you have overflow incontinence or cannot empty your bladder completely, a catheter may be recommended. But using a catheter exposes you to potential infection.
PREVENTION
Performing Kegel exercises while you are pregnant and soon after delivery may help prevent incontinence related to childbirth.
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