Types Of Urinary Incontinence And How To Prevent It

Kegel exercises are very effective in treating stress urinary incontinence, but they are not always recommended.

Urinary incontinence is the inability to hold urine. Symptoms commonly experienced can range from mild urine leakage to heavy, uncontrollable urine leakage. The problem, indeed, can happen to anyone, but it is more common with age. Similarly, women tend to experience it twice as much as men.

Treatment depends on the type of problem you have and what works best for your lifestyle. Kegel exercises often stand out among other remedies to help prevent urinary incontinence, but you can also take other measures to help you control it.

In any case, it is important to bear in mind that in order to be able to stop the problem effectively and quickly, it is best to always go to a professional who deals directly with the specific case.

If you suffer from incontinence, especially stress incontinence, read on to find out how these exercises can help you and what steps you can take to keep it at bay.

What types of urinary incontinence are there?

As the professionals of the National Institute on Aging explain, there are several types of incontinence, but among the most common are urge urinary incontinence and stress incontinence.

In the case of urge incontinence, the person suffering from it feels an urgent need to urinate and must run to reach the bathroom. In the case of stress incontinence, the losses occur when performing actions that multiply the pressure in the abdomen, such as coughing, sneezing or laughing.

It can occur at any age, both in men and women, but it is true that, as we mentioned earlier, the prevalence in women is higher, even more after menopause.

There are times when it is fleeting or occasional. In these cases it may be due to a urinary infection or the consumption of a drug. But if it is a common problem, we must take it into consideration and seek treatment.

If the incontinence is urge or stress, and is not due to any serious cause, the specialist will refer you to a pelvic floor physiotherapist. The physical therapist will help you regain control of the muscles in the area to prevent you from continuing to suffer losses.

Kegel exercises

In the case of post-menopausal women, which is the most common, the cause is usually a loss of elasticity and tension in the pelvic floor muscles. This lack of tension is due in part to the drop in estrogen levels that menopause brings. For younger women, the reason is often pregnancy – and childbirth.

Among the remedies for urinary incontinence we can highlight the so-called Kegel exercises. These simple exercises help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, but it is important to do them correctly to be effective. They are especially prescribed for stress urinary incontinence.

To locate these muscles, imagine that you want to prevent gas from escaping. Now that you know what they are, gradually work them out by counting to 5, as if you were raising them little by little, while you exhale. When you’ve maxed them out, try 2-3 quick contractions, as if you’re squeezing them. Then, while you breathe in, relax them for another 5 seconds, feeling them descend, without pushing them out. Repeat the exercise 3 times a day, in cycles of 12 to 15 repetitions.

You need to consult with a pelvic floor professional for advice on how and how much you should do the exercises. Every case is different, and Kegel exercises are not always recommended.

To know more: Kegel exercises: strengthen your pelvic floor and improve your sex life

Measures against urinary incontinence

There are some tips that can help us, especially  in case of urge urinary incontinence:

• Do not consume acidic or spicy foods, as these irritate the bladder.

• Control the consumption of caffeine, soft drinks or alcohol, which increase diuresis.
• As for any health problem, a balanced diet and optimal weight are essential.
• Urinate frequently, trying to establish a few more or less fixed hours.

In addition to the remedies against incontinence that we have presented, the doctor can offer you different treatments if the problem worsens and affects your daily life and your social relationships. We must not let a problem that has a solution condition us out of shame or modesty. Today it is a topic widely discussed in medical and physiotherapy consultations.