13 million individuals throughout the United States are currently managing one type of incontinence or the other as it can affect any individual at any age.
It can either be a temporary condition or a permanent one. Urinary Incontinence (UI) is an issue more prevalent in females, (it also occurs in 15% of males), which can drastically affect the quality of life.
The quality of an individual’s life is considerably affected by UI. This state usually causes an individual to become uncomfortable in a social situation and make them to stay away from specific activities.
The individual may end up losing control over time, have low self-esteem and loss of independence, which can bring about mental conditions; (e.g. depression).
Urinary incontinence comes in different types which includes:
- Stress incontinence
- Mixed urinary incontinence
- Urge incontinence
- Functional incontinence
- Overflow incontinence and
- Bowel incontinence
Several elements facilitate adult incontinence as indicated by the Simon Continence Foundation.
- Severe Asthma or cough
- Diabetes
- Medications
- Hormonal changes in females
- Neurological issues
- Constipation
- Prostate issue in males
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Childbirth and pregnancy
Fortunately, there are several incontinence products for females and products are also available for males currently in the market. Handling this situation is vital to being happy, and healthy.
5 WAYS EXPLAINED THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED TO MANAGE THE INCONTINENCE CONDITION:
- Diet[1]:
Eat healthy foods and exercise regularly. Try to lose weight if you are overweight. Being too heavy will weaken the muscles that help you stop urinating.
Drink plenty of water:
- Drinking enough water will help keep odors away.
- Drinking more water may even help reduce leakage.
DO NOT drink anything 2 to 4 hours before going to bed. Empty your bladder before going to bed to help prevent urine leakage during the night.
Avoid foods and beverages that can make urine leakage worse. These include:
- Caffeine (coffee, tea, some sodas)
- Carbonated drinks, such as soda and sparkling water
- Alcoholic beverages
- Citrus fruits and juices (lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit)
- Tomatoes and tomato-based foods and sauces
- Spicy foods
- Chocolate
- Sugars and honey
- Artificial sweeteners
Get more fiber in your diet, or take fiber supplements to prevent constipation and try to maintain a healthy weight.
2. Medicine, Special Devices or Procedures
Treatment depends on the type of problem you have and what best fits your lifestyle. It may include medicines or special devices or procedures prescribed by your doctor, or surgery.
3. Education and training
Learn from good sources about your condition can help you to address the issue and find the proper solution, you can find a good start in these trusted sites about urinary incontinence:
Another option can be through planned training. Whether you are controlling your bladder condition yourself or through a caregiver, an excellent method of remaining comfortable and dry is a planned voiding. Start voiding in a two-hour interval, then work towards a four-hour interval. Requirements vary for every individual. But accidents can have an 80% reduction through planned training.
4. Exercise
The internal and external parts of your body can become reinforced through different exercises (e.g.walking). For those that are reluctant about joining a walking program due to incontinence, hidden products on bladder control can help restore the required confidence.
Reinforcing the pelvic floor muscles is a great method of controlling the bladder. The muscles of the pelvic floor can be reinforced through Kegel exercises, which involves performing relaxing and tightening of the muscles for some periods and a number of times daily. The appropriate method of performing Kegel excises can be provided by your health care provider.
5. Incontinence products
Diverse kinds of pull-on undergarments, pads, diapers, and products for personal hygiene are available for both males and females of every size. Like PREVAIL® You can try several products that produce absorbencies to discover the best for you. Attempting several products will guarantee that you discover the product that works for you and your specific condition. You can go through the vast options of incontinence products.
Today, several products can be found in the market that can assist with incontinence like PREVAIL. These products are very effective for incontinence that occurs as a result of heavy lifting, coughing, sneezing and so on.
Conclusion
If you or a friend or a family member is currently dealing with incontinence, you are not the only one. Look for personal assistance and find out the appropriate products and remain persistent. Most importantly, don’t avoid the activities you love doing. Stay in control of your life, it is in your power to have fun enjoy life and unstoppable despite the incontinence conditions!
[1] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000138.htm