Urinary incontinence can be caused by many factors, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or sudden movements, and associated with a sudden urge or desire to go to the toilet. It can also be caused by certain medical conditions or damage to the bladder. It’s a common condition but one that can embarrass you. It can also make it difficult to cope with daily life, work, socializing, exercise and travel. 

Sometimes tests help to understand your condition and diagnosis. Input from a specialized physical therapist, medication, or incontinence products can help resolve the problem. Positive lifestyle changes can help alleviate some of the triggers for urinary incontinence. Below are five ways to make urinary incontinence worse without realizing it and what you can do to control your condition better.

1. Being Overweight or Obese:

Being overweight or obese also puts extra pressure on the bladder and urethra. It can lead to or worsen urinary incontinence. Carrying extra weight can also put extra pressure on your pelvic floor muscles, which hold all your pelvic organs in place.

When these muscles are weak, the bladder and urethra are not healthy and well supported, which can worsen symptoms of urinary incontinence. Losing weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise will help gradually reverse the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence.

2. Smoking:

Studies have shown that smoking increases the likelihood of developing urge urinary incontinence three times. It is thought that this is because the nicotine and other toxins in cigarettes can irritate the bladder, making it contract more often and worsening urinary incontinence problems. In addition, smoking can cause a persistent and chronic cough that increases pressure on the bladder and causes more urine to leak out.

Quitting smoking is a lifestyle change that can help you manage your urinary incontinence. Your pharmacist can help you with nicotine patches, replacement devices, and gum and refer you to local support groups who can help you quit.

3. Drinking the Wrong Things at the Wrong Time:

Staying hydrated is important for good health and overall well-being. But the more you drink, the more urine your body produces. If you suffer from urinary incontinence, it means you are losing more urine. Therefore, it is best to avoid or limit caffeinated beverages. As these have a stronger diuretic effect (urinary tract). Caffeinated beverages include tea, coffee, colas, and energy drinks.

Alcoholic beverages also have a diuretic effect, so limit your alcohol consumption. However, it doesn’t mean you should stop consuming all fluids, as avoiding too much fluid can worsen your symptoms. Dehydration leads to dark, concentrated urine, which can irritate your bladder walls, causing them to contract more often and causing you to leak more urine. Everyone is unique, so try to balance your fluid needs with the amount of fluid that can worsen your urinary incontinence.

4. Constipation:

Being constipated from time to time is perfectly normal. But if it happens to you frequently and you have to strain to have a bowel movement regularly, then you could be causing urinary incontinence or making it worse. Dry stools put pressure on the bladder and urethra, just like coughing or sneezing. Permanent pelvic floor muscle weakening and worsening urinary leakage can occur.

A diet rich in high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and pasta, is recommended to keep the bowels moving. It’s also important to stay hydrated to prevent constipation.

5. High Impact Exercise:

Staying active helps maintain a healthy weight and prevent constipation, which can lead to urinary incontinence. But some sports can make stress urinary incontinence symptoms worse. It includes high-impact activities like running and activities that involve a lot of jumping, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and aerobics. These types of activities put pressure on the bladder, which can cause urine to leak during exercise. 

To prevent this, avoid caffeine or alcohol before exercise and empty your bladder immediately before starting. If you like running and jumping, there’s no reason to stop if your urinary incontinence is minor. Make sure to take the necessary precautions, like wearing super absorbent pads or overnight underwear. Otherwise, you could try lower-impact sports like yoga and swimming.

Conclusion:

These are all symptoms and causes of worsening urinary incontinence. You should avoid the above things during incontinence. You can visit AvaCare Medical and find products that meet your needs. Our mission is to empower physicians to offer patients the benefits of integrated clinical and research care. Our technology-enabled global site network helps physicians focus on patient care as we manage the administrative and regulatory tasks of clinical research. For more information, contact us by emailing us at info@avacaremedical.com or calling us at 1-877-813-7799.