Urinary Symptoms

This blog is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek guidance from your healthcare provider. 

Urinary incontinence is a medical term referring to loss of bladder control or urinary leakage.

The 3 most common types of urinary incontinence are:

• Urgency - You experience a strong urge to urinate and cannot make it in time to the toilet.

• Stress - You leak urine after laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting something heavy.

• Mixed - You experience both urgency and stress incontinence

Management

Lifestyle changes

• Minimize the amount of liquids you drink, especially a few hours before bed.

• Avoid drinks or foods which worsen your symptoms. For example, caffeine, alcohol, acidic foods, or artificial sweeteners.

• Maintain a healthy weight and lose weight if you are overweight.

• Treat constipation and avoid straining during bowel movements.

Bladder Retraining

• Keep your bladder empty by urinating every 2 to 3 hours, if possible.

• During bladder retraining, you schedule bathroom times. Start by going every however even if you do not feel the need. Then increase the wait time in between bathroom breaks, consider 30-minute intervals. If you feel the urge and time is not up then try distracting yourself or pelvic floor exercises. Over time, you may be able to “retrain” your bladder to wait 3 to 4 hours.

• Click the below button for .PDF of a voiding diary.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation

• Pelvic floor exercises may help to improve symptoms. While sitting on the toilet, squeeze as if you are trying to stop urinating. Another technique is to squeeze the muscles that would stop you from passing gas from your rectum. In attempting either one of those exercises, no one should be able to notice you are doing them.

• Consider working with a pelvic floor physical therapist for the best results. It may take 3 to 6 months of regular pelvic floor exercises before you see results.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content is intended for educational use and should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.