Incontinence is no laughing matter — especially if laughing, sneezing, or coughing makes you leak urine! That’s known as stress incontinence, and is one of several types of incontinence.
I don’t think there’s anyone out there who really wants to have trouble controlling their bladder! Here are some tips to help prevent the problem before it starts.
- Maintain a healthy weight for your height and frame. Extra pounds can put extra pressure on the bladder.
- Exercise regularly — all over. Exercise can help prevent weight from becoming a problem… and it can help keep your muscles toned. Muscle weakness is often involved in incontinence.
- Watch your intake of diuretics — substances that promote urination. You may want to cut back on caffeine and alcohol.
- Hit the bathroom regularly — especially when traveling.
- Don’t ignore bladder and urinary tract issues. Infection and illness can lead to incontinence. See your doctor if you’re having issues.
- Practice Kegel exercises. They can help prevent AND control incontinence. Squeeze the muscles you use to control urine flow, hold for three to five seconds, then relax for ten seconds. Keep going for several minutes! Do this twice a day to improve pelvic muscle control.
If you are already experiencing incontinence issues, there are a few things you can do to minimize problems.
- Use the bathroom frequently — even if you don’t feel like you have to go. There is a type of incontinence (overflow incontinence) that is caused by a lack of signal when your bladder is full.
- Watch how much you drink — especially if access to a toilet may be a problem. And don’t load up on drinks before bedtime, unless you are sure you’ll wake up in time.
- Wear a sanitary napkin, panty liner, or other product in case you do leak. As a bonus, these products often help minimize or neutralize odors.
In many cases, lifestyle changes like those listed above can reduce or prevent episodes of incontinence. But if they don’t help enough, you may need to talk to your doctor. There are medications, products, and surgical interventions available to help.