Are bladder issues causing you to avoid leaving home? Have you stopped participating in activities you used to enjoy?
Incontinence frequently occurs in both women and men. Lately, there has been an increase in the number of incontinence products that are being marketed towards baby boomers. Baby boomers are hitting the age where it’s common to have these types of issues, and they are seeking relief from their symptoms.
“13 million Americans suffer from urinary incontinence symptoms.”
Incontinence can occur for a wide range of reasons. Changes to the body happen as we age, and some of those changes have an impact on our bladder control. Diseases such as Parkinson’s can cause nerve damage that results in incontinence. Enlarged prostates in men might cause a blockage, or maybe an infection has gone unchecked for too long. It’s important to discuss your symptoms with your primary care physician so they can determine the cause of your incontinence.
In the article below, we’re going to share 23 tips to help you cope with your symptoms while you wait to hear from your doctor.
Coping with Incontinence: 23 Tips to Keep Doing the Things You Love
According to the National Institute of Health, there are 4 types of incontinence a person can experience.
- Stress Incontinence: Younger and middle-aged women most commonly experience stress incontinence. Leakage happens when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, or lift heavy objects. The pressure placed on the bladder during these events is too much for the weakened muscles to handle.
- Urge Incontinence: Are you unable to hold it long enough to get to the bathroom when you have the urge to urinate? This is a typical sign of urge incontinence. It’s common for people with diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or multiple sclerosis to experience this type of incontinence.
- Overflow Incontinence: When your bladder is always full, you can have small amounts of leakage throughout the day and night. This type of incontinence is called overflow incontinence. It happens most frequently to people with spinal cord injuries or diabetes.
- Functional Incontinence: Are you able to control your bladder, but you find it challenging to get to the toilet due to arthritis or some other physical obstacle? If so, you have the fourth type of incontinence — functional incontinence. You attempt to get to the bathroom in time, but you just can’t move fast enough.
As mentioned above, it’s necessary to discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider so they can determine the cause and best course of treatment for you. You may need to visit a urologist for more thorough testing if your doctor decides it’s necessary. In the meantime, follow the 23 tips below to help you get back to doing what you love.
1. Carry a Backpack
Don’t get caught out in public without a backup outfit should you have an accident. Carry a backpack with extra clothes inside so you are always prepared — just in case.
2. Keep Extra Clothes in Your Car
What if you have more than one accident while you’re out and about or you forgot your backpack? Store another change of clothes in your car as a backup.
3. Drink Plenty of Fluids
Don’t avoid staying hydrated to lessen your trips to the bathroom. Depriving your body of fluids leads to more problems, not less. And you don’t want that, right? Dehydration is not the answer to your condition.
4. Keep a Consistent Schedule
No matter what you’re doing, stop, and take a bathroom break every two to three hours. Sticking to a consistent schedule helps you train your bladder to go at specific times throughout your day. This keeps your bladder from getting too full and helps you hold it for more extended periods.
5. Don’t Wait Too Long
Don’t wait to feel that sense of urgency that signals you really have to go — and fast. You need to give yourself plenty of time to make it to the bathroom so you can avoid an accident.
Recommended Reading: Ask the Expert: Coping with Incontinence
6. Find the Bathrooms
When you go out, locate the restrooms as soon as you get to your destination. It’s important that you know exactly where they are so you don’t have an accident trying to find them.
Are you enjoying this article?
Navigating life after 50 can be complex for you and your loved ones. We're here to help with tips, advice, and answers to questions. When you sign up for our newsletter, we'll let you know by email when we publish new articles that can help you.
7. Do Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises help strengthen pelvic muscles and reduce incontinence. These exercises can be performed several times per day, and there are many products available that can help you achieve results faster. Ask your doctor for instructions on how to do these exercises and for their advice on products they would recommend to help.
8. Go Easy on the Alcohol and Caffeine
Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics that irritate your bladder. Consume these beverages on a limited basis to reduce their effects.
9. Don’t Smoke
Smoking causes bladder cancer and is linked to incontinence. Do you need help to fight the urge to smoke so you can quit? Talk to your doctor about the options available and seek out support groups or programs that can help. Not everyone can quit cold turkey, and you’re not weak for seeking help.
Recommended Reading: Love, Laugh...Leak? October is Pelvic Organ Prolapse Awareness Month
10. Stay Informed About New Products
New products are being created all the time for adults who suffer from incontinence symptoms. Stay up to date on what’s available, and don’t be afraid to give something new a try. Research products online and ask your doctor for advice.
11. Talk to Your Doctor About Medications
Medications can cause incontinence in some cases. Read the side effects of the medications you are on and any new ones you’re prescribed. Talk to your doctor about your concerns if you think your medication could be the cause of your symptoms.
12. Stay Active
Don’t let your symptoms stop you from enjoying life. It’s crucial to your health for you to remain active physically and socially. You can’t let fear prevent you from doing the things you love like spending time with your family and friends. Ask for help and talk about it when you feel the need to.
13. Don’t Lift Anything
You strain your pelvic floor muscles anytime you lift things. Picking up small kids, grocery bags, or other heavy items can cause embarrassing accidents. On the occasions lifting is necessary, tighten your pelvic floor muscles throughout the lift.
14. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Obesity can cause incontinence by weakening your pelvic floor muscles. The pressure of fatty tissue on your bladder causes leaks. It’s possible with a healthy diet and exercise that your incontinence symptoms could go away completely.
15. Eat Lots of Fiber
Constipation makes urinary incontinence symptoms worse because straining to poop weakens your pelvic floor muscles. Never hold it when you need to have a bowel movement, and make sure you’re eating plenty of fiber in your diet.
16. Avoid Spicy and Acidic Foods
Spicy and acidic foods like hot wings, curries, or oranges irritate your bladder and cause leaks. Avoid these foods at all costs, and choose healthier options instead.
17. Do Yoga
According to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), yoga can be beneficial for seniors coping with incontinence. Researchers discovered that yoga helps people avoid leaks by giving them more control over urination. Participating in yoga frequently strengthens pelvic floor muscles and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression — which can cause incontinence or make it worse.
18. Wear Liners or Pads
Save yourself from embarrassment and gain some peace of mind by wearing liners or pads. You don’t have to wear the bulky, plastic-coated adult diapers to prevent leaks. Many crafty moms have started sewing cloth pads and liners that are absorbent and comfortable. You can purchase them from online retailers such as Amazon or Etsy, or make your own.
19. Wear Clothes That Are Easy to Remove
You don’t want to have an accident because you were struggling to remove your clothes in the bathroom. Wear outfits that are easy to take off and put back on.
20. Keep a Journal
Your doctor will likely ask you to keep a journal of your bathroom habits to aid in diagnosing the cause of your incontinence issues. Record what and how much you drink, what time you urinate, and how many leaks or accidents you have. Do this for several days and take it with you when you see your doctor.
21. Practice Double Voiding
Urinate, wait for a few minutes, and then try to urinate again. This is called double voiding, and it helps you learn to empty your bladder completely.
22. Train Your Bladder
In some cases, you might be able to lengthen the amount of time between bathroom trips by training your bladder. When you feel the urge to go, hold it for 10 minutes and then urinate. After doing this for a while, you should be able to lengthen the time between bathroom breaks to 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
23. Read the OutreachNC Magazine
Coping with incontinence doesn’t have to stop you from living your life. Talk to your healthcare provider as soon as you start having symptoms — don’t put it off! The sooner you address the problem, the better. Always keep your doctors informed on your health so they can develop the best treatment plan possible to help you. Failure to disclose symptoms could lead to an incorrect diagnosis of your condition.
Did you find the information in this article helpful? Read more articles like this one in OutreachNC Magazine.
OutreachNC Magazine is a community resource to help older adults, families, and professionals successfully navigate life after 50.
Each month, we embrace the many ways that the Second 50 can be rejuvenating, rewarding, and sometimes challenging.
Read the Magazine
OutreachNC Magazine is a community resource to help older adults, families and professionals successfully navigate life after 50.
Each month, we embrace the many ways that the Second 50 can be rejuvenating, rewarding, and sometimes challenging.