Urinary Incontinence in Women
Home Treatment
If you experience long-term (chronic) urinary incontinence, you can take some steps immediately that may eliminate or reduce the problem.
- Establish a schedule of urinating every 3 to 4 hours, regardless of whether you feel the need.
- Talk with your health professional about all prescription and nonprescription medications you take, to see if any of them may be making your incontinence worse.
- Practice "double voiding" by urinating as much as possible, relaxing for a few moments, and then urinating again.
- If you have trouble reaching the bathroom before you urinate, consider making a clearer, quicker path to the bathroom and wearing clothes that are easily removed (such as those with elastic waistbands or Velcro closures), or keep a bedpan close to your bed or chair.
- Reduce or eliminate caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, and some carbonated drinks) from your diet.
- Avoid drinking alcohol in excess.
- Wear a tampon while doing activities such as jogging or dancing to put a little pressure on your urethra and to temporarily slow or stop leakage.
- Avoid drinking too much or too little fluid. Excessive liquids can increase the need to urinate and increase incontinence. Too little fluid can result in dehydration. Approximately 2 qt (1.89 L) of fluid are necessary every day to maintain kidney and bladder health.
Additional steps may reduce or eliminate your urinary incontinence; however, these require more time to make a difference.
- Strengthen your pelvic muscles
by performing pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises every day and by having a regular exercise program.
- Try to lose some weight if you are overweight. Remember that effective weight-loss programs depend on a combination of diet and exercise. For more information, see the topics Healthy Weight, Fitness, and Nutrition.
- Increase the amount of fiber in your diet if constipation is a problem. You can easily do this by adding a small amount of wheat bran, such as 1 tsp (4.7 g), to foods you normally eat and by increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans in your diet.
- If you smoke, quit. This may reduce coughing, which may reduce your problem with incontinence. For more information, see the topic Quitting Tobacco Use.
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| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW | Last Updated: September 22, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology | |
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