What Exactly is Incontinence?
What is urinary incontinence?
Have you ever felt the sudden urge to use the toilet but not made it in time? Has a laugh or sneeze ever caused an unexpected leak? Urinary incontinence is the medical term for loss of bladder control, leading to urine leaks that disrupt daily life.
It's more common than you might think, so let's examine the different types of incontinence, what causes each, and how you can use incontinence pads and pants to manage symptoms to regain control and confidence.
- What are the different types of urinary incontinence?
- What causes urinary incontinence?
- What is the best way to manage the symptoms of incontinence?
- Manage your incontinence comfortably and confidently today!
What are the different types of urinary incontinence?
There are a few different types, including stress, urge, and overflow incontinence. Let's look at them all and see if you can recognize any symptoms for yourself.
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is caused by weakened pelvic muscles and often comes about from pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and ageing. The main symptom is the leakage of urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or lift heavy objects.
Urge incontinence
Also known as overactive bladder, urge incontinence happens when the bladder muscles contract too frequently. This is often followed by a sudden and intense urge to urinate and an involuntary leakage of urine.
Overflow incontinence
Overflow incontinence is often caused by a blockage or damage to the bladder, which prevents it from properly emptying. This leads to a consistent dribbling of urine or the feeling of being unable to completely empty the bladder.
What causes urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence can be caused by a variety of factors, from medical conditions like diabetes and Parkinson's to lifestyle factors like smoking and poor diet.
Chronic constipation can also contribute to urinary incontinence as the additional strain can weaken pelvic floor muscles and affect bladder control.
Different types of incontinence can also come about as a result of surgery, such as a hysterectomy or prostate surgery.
For example, if nerve damage takes place around the bladder or urethra, the signals between the brain and bladder muscles can be disrupted, making it harder to control the flow of urine.
What is the best way to manage the symptoms of incontinence?
Urine leakage associated with incontinence can be frustrating to deal with and can quickly affect quality of life. Fortunately, there are several ways you can manage or reduce incontinence symptoms. From incontinence pads to kegel exercises, let's see how you can manage your incontinence.
Incontinence products
Incontinence pads and pants are handy for managing incontinence daily, offering comfort and confidence against bladder leaks that would otherwise cause discomfort and embarrassment.
Incontinence products are especially helpful for those who might not be able to reach the toilet in time, offering peace of mind against the constant worry of accidents.
They're specially designed for comfort and convenience and a whole range of features.
For example, many incontinence pants have soft, elasticated sides to protect the skin from becoming irritated, anti-leak guards for ultimate absorption, and pull-away sides for easy disposal.
Lifestyle habits
A diet high in certain foods and drinks can irritate the bladder, leading to potential leaks.
Acidic or spicy foods like citrus and curries can worsen this irritation. Caffeine in coffee, tea, and fizzy drinks increases urine production, which can weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
Staying well-hydrated is also important for managing incontinence, as is maintaining a healthy weight to keep excess pressure off your bladder.
Similarly, regular exercise will help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and further improve bladder control.
Avoid heavy lifting where you can and try not to take part in other daily activities that strain the pelvic floor, especially if you have stress incontinence and are not wearing incontinence pads to manage it. To stay active, try a low-impact physical activity like walking, swimming or yoga.
Exercises
An active life full of exercise, especially pelvic floor muscle exercises, is ideal for managing incontinence. This is mainly because these exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which play a large role in bladder control. The stronger the pelvic floor, the better supported your bladder and urethra.
Regular exercise also helps with weight loss, another important factor in managing incontinence. Excess body weight can place undue pressure on the bladder, worsening incontinence issues, so working towards a healthier weight can help reduce symptoms over time.
Manage your incontinence comfortably and confidently today!
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