If you’ve recently experienced urine leakage and urgency, you may be suffering from urinary incontinence. First, visit your gynecologist for a proper diagnosis. If you have the common condition, there are a few changes you can introduce to your diet and exercise to manage and eventually improve your situation.

Below are a few ideas about what you can do following a diagnosis:

Modify Your Diet

In many cases, eating or drinking certain foods can make urinary incontinence worse or cause irritation and an overactive bladder. It’s best to eat a well-balanced diet and avoid acidic beverages like soda, coffee, and alcohol. Instead, drink about eight cups of water daily, and try to maintain a healthy weight.

Wear Pads

Some patients find it helpful to avoid drinking a few hours before bedtime, but if leakage persists throughout the night, wear incontinence briefs or pads to soak up leaking urine. These are also great options to have on throughout the day until the problem is resolved.

Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles will give you greater control over bladder leakage. Target these muscles by doing Kegels. If you’ve never done these before and you don’t know which muscles to use, stop your urine mid-flow the next time you’re urinating. Those are the same muscles you’ll use to contract and release during Kegels. Hold each contraction for about five seconds, then relax for five seconds. Aim to do these five times in a row, eventually working your way up to 10 seconds at a time. This is also a great way to prevent conditions like pelvic prolapse.

Retrain Your Bladder

Sometimes, you can manage urgency by retraining your bladder. When you feel the need to go, refocus your mind and energy, and resist running to the bathroom immediately. You can start with a goal of only going to the bathroom every 30 minutes, and try to increase the time gradually.

 

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with urinary incontinence, the trusted experts at Midwest Urogynecology in Saint Louis, MO, provide compassionate women’s health care. From pelvic prolapse to overactive bladder, their team of physicians treats a wide range of gynecological conditions. Visit them online to learn more about their services, or give them a call at (314) 596-9955 to make an appointment.