When it comes to bladder leakage, most women would prefer to try noninvasive treatments before resorting to surgical options. Additionally, many feel they’d rather avoid the need for costly medications.
Fortunately, there are several key lifestyle treatments that can successfully help control leakage, and most don’t cost a dime!
Of course, always consult your physician before starting in on a new health care routine. Here are some that you may want to consider:
Kegel Exercises. Also called pelvic floor muscles exercises, Kegels are the foundational techniques for treating bladder leakage. The exercises isolate and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to help reduce feelings of urgency, diminish the need to frequently urinate, and can help decrease accidents.
Dietary Changes. Since many foods can irritate the bladder, changing what you eat and drink can have a profound impact on your bladder health. The most common “trigger foods” include coffee, fruit juices and spicy foods. Take time to learn what foods and drinks trigger your leakage and remove them from your diet.
Bladder Retraining. This technique is often used to control overactive bladder or urge incontinence. The retraining technique helps you gradually increase the amount of time between urinations by resisting the first urge to go and waiting until a scheduled time. When successful, the length of time between bathroom trips is increased until the urge can be held off for several hours.
Pelvic Floor Stimulation. Performed by your healthcare provider, stimulation treatment uses a small instrument placed into the vagina that delivers a tiny electrical pulse which exercises the pelvic muscles for you. The treatment helps make your pelvic muscles stronger and more effective at stopping the flow of urine.
Biofeedback. Biofeedback is often recommended by doctors and used with Kegels. A physical therapist uses measuring devices or sensors to help you learn to locate, exercise and control your pelvic muscles.
Combination Therapy. Multiply your efforts and you could experience more success at treating leakage problems. By adopting two or more of the above treatment options (like Kegels combined with dietary changes) you can generate better control than if trying one approach alone.
Write it Down. Bathroom journals are a terrific way to keep track of your incontinence and help give your physician an accurate and thorough picture of your bladder health and individual situation. Download and print a bathroom journal direct from the Depend® website. For best results, print 7 copies and keep track for an entire week.
Success That’s Within Your Control
Stress or urge incontinence in women is quite common. Pursuing nonsurgical treatment options can greatly improve your quality of life. Discuss these behavioral and lifestyle approaches with your healthcare provider and develop the treatment plan that’s right for you.
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