Helpful Tips For Living With Incontinence

Serving your country is a great honor, but it also comes with a lot of risks. According to a study published by the American Urological Association (AUA) Education and Research, Inc. military exposure among American men who are 55 years old or younger are at a high risk of developing urinary incontinence.

It’s not something to be ashamed about, but if you feel like it’s getting in the way of living your life like a normal person, here are a few things you can do:

Pelvic Floor Exercises

If you want to lessen the likelihood of leakages, you should try doing some pelvic floor exercises. It may not be similar to the training you do while in the military because it will involve the muscles that support your bladder and bowels, instead of other muscle groups that people you usually workout to tone themselves.

Do some kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles. Weak pelvic muscles cause leakages because it can no longer hold the urine properly. Do the exercises regularly, and in about 3-6 months you’ll see some improvement.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which are substances that increase the production of urine. If you have incontinence and still drink the usual amount of caffeine and alcohol as you previously did, then you’ll have problems controlling leakages. Try to lessen your intake and eventually cut back and go for water or cranberry juice as better options.

Choose Good Incontinence Products

When you have urinary incontinence, it’s not a good idea to worry too much over it. Incontinence can be a problem, but it can happen to anyone. There’s no shame in asking for help, whether from a caregiver or incontinence products.

You will need to choose the right products that can help you control and prevent leakages. Comfort Plus has a variety of incontinence products for adults. If you need adult diapers and hygiene products, they’ve got it.

Stay Hydrated But Pace Yourself

Preventing leakages doesn’t mean you have to drink less so that there will be less urine. Drinking more water does increase the chances of leakages, but if you don’t drink enough, your urine will become highly urinated which can irritate your bladder and increase your need to urinate. It may also cause urinary tract infections.

Drink a healthy balance of fluids. You don’t have to follow the 6-8 glasses of water every day because the amount of fluid a person needs daily depends on their health and lifestyle conditions. You should also try to drink fluids at regular intervals of 2-3 hours.

Schedule Bathroom Visits

Scheduling your bathroom visits can help retrain your bladder, so you reduce the number of times you relieve yourself. Make a schedule and try to follow it every day. Don’t wait for your bladder to feel full before going to the bathroom because it doesn’t always work.

You need to be able to train your bladder to hold in more urine. If you reduce the number of times you go to the bathroom, your bladder won’t be overactive. As a result, your urinary incontinence will not be exacerbated.

Relax

Urinary incontinence is not just a problem for older people, even younger ones can have it too. People in the military can also develop this due to extreme factors such as nerve damage, physical injuries, and even surgery. Given the rough conditions men in service constantly subject themselves to, urinary incontinence is one of the many illnesses that persist long after they’ve left the service. If your condition is brought about by your years of dedication, you may seek help for compensation to aid support your disability needs.

If you plan to have outdoor activities, you can empty your bladder so you don’t get unexpected leakages. But, if you’re unable to, don’t force it. It may irritate your bladder and mess up your bathroom schedule.

Avoid Bladder Irritants

Aside from caffeine and alcohol, there are also other things that can irritate your bladder. You may want to avoid spicy and tomato-based food. No matter how much you want to eat a decadent chocolate cake, remember that chocolate is also an irritant. Fruits are healthy but try to avoid citrus too.

Final Thoughts

Urinary incontinence is not a problem that’s exclusive for the elderly. It can happen to anyone. If it happens to you, there are ways for you to prevent accidents. Don’t hesitate to seek help and learn to discipline yourself. Doing the right exercises and having a balanced diet can help improve your condition and maybe even stop it from happening again.