Tighten Your Pelvic Floor With Kegel Exercises
Kegels, or pelvic floor muscle exercises, can benefit both men and women who have urinary incontinence by strengthening the muscles that support the bladder. This, in turn, helps prevent urine leaks and the feeling of urgency that comes with overactive bladder. And Kegels couldnt be easier to do: Per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, simply squeeze or tighten your pelvic floor muscles these are the same muscles you use to stop the flow of urine or passing gas for a count of three and then slowly relax them for a count of three. Kegels are so easy, you can do them anytime even while sitting in your car at a stoplight or at your desk at work. Build up to doing one set of 10 to 15 squeezes, three times a day, and your bladder control should improve within six weeks.
Other Treatments For Urinary Incontinence
Your doctor may recommend alternative treatment options, such as:
If you are experiencing urinary incontinence during or after pregnancy, know that youre not alone. Talk with your doctor we can help you get back to exercising, laughing, and sneezing without worrying about a accidental urine leakage.
Other Options To Treat Urinary Incontinence After Childbirth
Kegel exercises help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and can be performed anywhere. The simplest explanation to this easy exercise is to stop the flow of urine by squeezing the muscles tightly, holding for 5 seconds, and then continuing to urinate. Do these squeezes several times per day for maximum benefit.
A pessary is a small silicone ring inserted into the vagina in the morning and removed each night. This device is designed to stop the flow from a womans urethra, and may remain in place all day or only during more strenuous activities if desired.
Sticking to a fixed bathroom schedule will help control your bladder. Try to stretch out the time between trips to the bathroom and build up your tolerance gradually.
Certain prescription medications can slow down an overactive bladder. Dedicated to Women ObGynwill be able to recommend and prescribe the medications they feel will work best for you and your specific symptoms of urinary incontinence.
There are other treatments that include both non-invasive and surgical methods to help women achieve relief from symptoms of urinary incontinence after childbirth.
Speak with Dedicated to Women if you still are having incontinence issues beyond 6 weeks after the birth of your child.
As always, if you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call 674-0223 today!
Also Check: Botox In Bladder For Incontinence
Don’t Miss: What Causes Weak Bladder In Males
What Is The Ondrwear Difference
How is ONDRwear different from other leading brands? Dr. Lubahn created ONDRwear with the express purpose of helping her own patients overcome the hassle and embarrassment of urinary incontinence.
With the knowledge that incontinence is widespread, yet still considered taboo, Dr. Lubahn set about on a mission to change public perception and normalize treatment and care of urinary incontinence.
ONDRwear provides patients with:
Why Do I Have Stress Incontinence In The First Place
To understand how to stop stress incontinence its helpful to first understand a little bit about the most common causes of mild to moderate stress incontinence:
Also Check: Antibiotics For Bladder Infection While Pregnant
Botulinum Toxin A Injections
Botulinum toxin A can be injected into the sides of your bladder to treat urge incontinence and overactive bladder syndrome .
This medication can sometimes help relieve these problems by relaxing your bladder. This effect can last for several months and the injections can be repeated if they help.
Although the symptoms of incontinence may improve after the injections, you may find it difficult to fully empty your bladder. If this happens, you will need to be taught how to insert a catheter into your urethra to drain the urine from your bladder.
Botulinum toxin A is not currently licensed to treat urge incontinence or OAB, so you should be made aware of any risks before deciding to have the treatment. The long-term effects of this treatment are not yet known.
Follow A Healthy Eating Plan
Healthy eating may prevent factors that raise your chances of developing UI, such as obesity and diabetes. No direct scientific evidence links nutrition to making UI better or worse.
Many people find that alcohol spicy foods chocolate artificial sweeteners caffeinated, carbonated, and citrus beverages and high-acid foods, such as citrus and tomatoes, may contribute to bladder irritation and inflammation, which can sometimes lead to UI. You may want to avoid these foods and drinks for a time to see if your symptoms improve. A registered dietitian can help you plan meals if youre trying to avoid certain foods that make your UI worse.
Also Check: Can The Bladder Lining Heal Itself
Causes Of Total Incontinence
Total incontinence occurs when your bladder cannot store any urine at all. It can result in you either passing large amounts of urine constantly, or passing urine occasionally with frequent leaking.
Total incontinence can be caused by:
- a problem with your bladder from birth
- injury to your spinal cord, which can disrupt the nerve signals between your brain and your bladder
- a bladder fistula, which is a small tunnel-like hole that can form between the bladder and a nearby area, such as the vagina, in women
How Can A Man Stop Dribbling After Urinating
How to Reduce Post Micturition Dribble. To push the last remaining drops of urine from the urethra the technique is as follows: After passing urine, wait for a few seconds to allow the bladder to empty. Place the fingertips of the left hand three finger-breadths behind the scrotum and apply gentle pressure.
Recommended Reading: Cysts On Bladder And Kidneys
You May Like: Foods Good For Bladder Control
Medications For Urinary Incontinence
If medications are used, this is usually in combination with other techniques or exercises.
The following medications are prescribed to treat urinary incontinence:
- Anticholinergics calm overactive bladders and may help patients with urge incontinence.
- Topical estrogen may reinforce tissue in the urethra and vaginal areas and lessen some of the symptoms.
- Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant.
When It Hurts To Pee
While this isnt incontinence, painful urination is not something you should overlook. A burning sensation when urinating is likely caused by a urinary tract infection that may lead to difficulties relating to leakage. It can also be from the dry or irritated skin around the urethra. Either way, get this checked out!
You May Like: Pumpkin Seed Oil For Bladder Control
Supervised Pelvic Floor Training
I realize that this article is about self-help measures to stop stress incontinence, but understanding the differences between supervised and unsupervised pelvic floor strengthening is necessary for two reasons. First, supervised training is the widely accepted recommended approach so I would be doing a disservice not to mention it. Second, supervised training has been shown to be the more effective approach so if doing these exercises on your own fails to significantly improve your symptoms, all is not lost.
In contrast to unsupervised pelvic floor muscle training, training supervised by a pelvic health physiotherapist offers:
Here Are Some Suggestions You May Consider To Prevent Urinary Incontinence:
Maintain a good weight: Overweight can weaken your pelvic floor muscles and may cause incontinence, due to the pressure of fatty tissue on the bladder. You may get relief in your symptoms if you lose the excess weight.
Pelvic floor exercises: Pelvic floor exercises are very effective at controlling leakage if done correctly. You may experience benefits of pelvic floor exercises after three months from the time you start it.
Foods to eat: Spicy foods may cause irritation of the bladder and make incontinence worse. Consume a magnesium-rich diet like bananas, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, yogurt and nuts to get better performance of muscles and nerves and to prevent incontinence.
Take vitamin D: Vitamin D improves your bone health as it helps calcium intake. It also helps in improving the muscular strength of the body functions. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to muscular disorganization of the pelvis which is very important for controlling urination.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol: Both Caffeine and alcohol irritate the bladder and can cause incontinence. A gain they also have an excitatory effect on the bladder as it excites the brain. Cut down the intake of alcohol and caffeine to prevent incontinence.
Stay hydrated: Drink enough water and other healthy fluids to control incontinence. Inadequate intake of fluids makes the incontinence more complicated by hampering the capacity of the bladder.
You May Like: Blood Clot In Bladder Symptoms
How Does Elitone Work
ELITONE uses disposable GelPads to deliver gentle electrical stimulation to contract your pelvic floor muscles, doing your Kegel exercises for you. A small controller lets you determine the level of treatment and turns off automatically. During a 20-minute session, the device does 100 pelvic floor muscle contractions longer and stronger than you could on your own. Use ELITONE at least 4 times per week to tone your pelvic floor muscles, and see fewer urinary leaks in as few as 6 weeks.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Your pelvic floor muscles are the muscles you use to control the flow of urine as you urinate. They surround the bladder and urethra .
Weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary incontinence, so exercising these muscles is often recommended.
Your GP may refer you to a specialist to start a programme of pelvic floor muscle training.
Your specialist will assess whether you are able to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and by how much. If you can contract your pelvic floor muscles, you will be given an individual exercise programme based on your assessment.
Your programme should include doing a minimum of eight muscle contractions at least three times a day and doing the recommended exercises for at least three months. If the exercises are helping after this time, you can keep on doing them.
Research suggests that women who complete pelvic floor muscle training experience fewer leaking episodes and report a better quality of life.
In men, some studies have shown that pelvic floor muscle training can reduce urinary incontinence particularly after surgery to remove the prostate gland.
For more information:
- Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecology Physiotherapy : The Pelvic Floor Mucles – a Guide for Women
Also Check: Parkinson’s And Overactive Bladder
Why Does Urinary Incontinence Occur With Pregnancy
Pregnancy and childbirth can cause incontinence in several ways:
- Your growing baby takes up a lot of room. As the uterus expands, it puts increased pressure on the bladder, urethra, and pelvic floor muscles. This can lead to leakage.
- Changing progesterone levels during pregnancy can weaken the pelvic floor. Increases in this hormone loosen up your ligaments and joints so the belly can expand and so you can deliver. But it can also loosen ligaments in the pelvis that help you hold in urine.
- Childbirth, particularly vaginal delivery, can stretch and weaken the pelvic floor muscles. This can lead to pelvic organ prolapse, in which your bladder, uterus, or rectum droops into the vaginal canal. Prolapse can be associated with urinary incontinence.
- Vaginal delivery also can result in pelvic muscle and nerve injury, which can result in bladder control problems.
If you experience urinary incontinence during pregnancy, you are at higher risk of having a persistent problem after birth. Tell your health care provider about urinary incontinence symptoms as soon as you notice them during pregnancy or at your first postnatal visit.
More than 80% of postpartum women who experience SUI symptoms during pregnancy may continue to experience stress incontinence without treatment.
Related reading:Body after birth: Treating post-pregnancy problems
Why Does Urgency Happen
Normally as your bladder fills with liquid it stays relaxed and your pelvic floor muscles contract until it is time to go and you are already sitting on the toilet. Then a reflex happens that relaxes your pelvic floor muscles and contracts your bladder muscle. With urgency the bladder muscle is contracting prematurely. Pelvic floor muscle tension or weakness can both contribute to this issue. Therefore it is not recommended that you start doing any form of kegal exercises before seeing a pelvic floor physical trainer so you do not worsen the problem. You can find a pelvic floor PT near you at Pelvic Guru or Pelvic Rehab.
Also Check: Best Medication For A Bladder Infection
Is Incontinence More Common In Women
Incontinence is much more commonly seen in women than in men. A large part of this is because of pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. Each of these events in a womans life can lead to bladder control issues. Pregnancy can be a short-term cause of incontinence and the bladder control issues typically get better after the baby is born. Some women experience incontinence after delivery because of the strain childbirth takes on the pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles are weakened, youre more likely to experience leakage issues. Menopause causes your body to go through a lot of change. Your hormones change during menopause and this can alter your bladder control.
Men can also experience incontinence, but it isnt as common as it is in women.
How Do I Stop Bladder Leakage
As you can see from the long list above, there are many things that can cause a weak bladder and subsequently lead to bladder leakage. Consequently, there are quite a few options to consider depending on the type of incontinence you have.
The first thing to remember is that youre not alone and that this common condition, is easily managed and can, in some cases, may be cured altogether.
However, if you find the following methods arent helping, there may be another underlying medical problem affecting your particular instance of bladder leakage. Have a chat with your doctor if youre concerned about your bladder leakage.
Here are some solutions that you may find can help a weak bladder.
Incontinence products
One of the simplest ways to manage incontinence whether temporary or ongoing, is to use the Depend® or Poise® range of incontinence products. It doesnt matter if your bladder leakage is light or quite heavy, Poise® and Depend® products have you covered with everything from liners to underwear.
Lifestyle changes
Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises are the main treatment for stress incontinence. These exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, uterus and rectum. Pelvic floor exercises also help if you are doing bladder training.
If your just starting out try contracting your pelvic-floor muscles for five seconds, and then relax them for five seconds, repeat this five times, 10 to 20 times a day.
Bladder training
Vaginal pessary
Medications
Recommended Reading: Poise Impressa Incontinence Bladder Supports
Am I At A Higher Risk Of Incontinence At An Older Age
Your body constantly changes throughout your life. As you age, the muscles that support your pelvic organs can weaken. This means that your bladder and urethra have less support often leading to urine leakage. Your risk for developing incontinence as you age might be higher if you have a chronic health condition, have given birth to children, went through menopause, have an enlarged prostate or have had prostate cancer surgery. Its important to talk to your healthcare provider over time about the risks of incontinence and ways you can manage it without interference to your daily life.
Quit Smoking To Help Keep Your Bladder Healthy
People who have urinary incontinence should do what they can to stop smoking. Studies have found that people who smoke are more prone to incontinence, says urologist Yvonne Koch, MD, of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Smoking damages the very small blood vessels in our bodies and causes tissue weakness, she explains. Furthermore, smoking can lead to coughing, which can cause urine leakage by putting pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. Plus, cigarette smoking triples the risk of bladder cancer, an early sign of which may be the need to urinate often or the urge to urinate immediately, even when the bladder isnt full, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Recommended Reading: Overactive Bladder Over Counter Medication
How Do I Do Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are a simple way to build strength in your pelvic floor muscles. These exercises are done by lifting, holding and then relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. You can find these muscles by stopping the flow of urine mid-stream while youre urinating. Only do this until you learn how to find the muscles stopping the flow of urine mid-stream isnt healthy over a long period of time.
When youre doing Kegel exercises, start small. Only hold it for a few second. Over time you can slowly work your way up to longer and longer stretches of holding the muscles tight.
Unlike other types of workouts, no one can tell when youre doing Kegel exercises. Aim to do several sets of Kegel exercises twice a day.