Personal note:I know a lot of women who suffer from this for different reasons, it's really a very embarrassing matter and should be taking seriously.
Prevent Urine Leakage
It's embarrassing, rarely discussed and surprisingly common: Urinary incontinence affects an estimated 38 percent of women age 60 or older. But incontinence is a problem for millions of women of all ages, including female athletes, women with urinary tract infections, pregnant women and women who have just given birth.
Some women who suffer from stress incontinence leak urine when they put pressure on their bladder by coughing, laughing, sneezing or exercising. Others leak urine when their bodies don't give them enough warning before they have to urinate.
Dr. Sovrin M. Shah, a specialist in female urology and pelvic reconstructive surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, explains five simple ways for a woman to have better control over her bladder.
A recent study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that overweight and obese women saw a decline in their symptoms of incontinence when they lost 5 to 10 percent of their body weight -- for a 200-pound woman, that's as little as 10 pounds. Compared to the women in the study who gained weight, the women who lost weight were two to four times more likely to experience a significant reduction in leakage. Another study published in "The New England Journal of Medicine" found that overweight women who lost 8 percent of their body weight saw their incontinence episodes drop by half. "There's a direct pressure effect on your bladder," says Shah, who explains that the bladder sits atop the intestines. "If you are susceptible to leaking, you may be more so [when you are heavier]."
Keep a Strict Schedule of Bathroom Breaks
Doctors call this "timed voiding." Patients are asked to keep track of their bathroom visits and ensure that they go at least once every three hours. "If your bladder is full and you cough, you're more likely to leak," says Shah. "If you don't allow the bladder to fill, then when you cough you won't leak as much. So if you go every three hours, you can hopefully prevent or minimize leakage." Of course, if you increase your fluid intake, you must adjust your bathroom visits accordingly.
While those with severe incontinence may require surgery, those with modest incontinence may see great improvement by doing Kegel exercises. Kegels -- performed by contracting and relaxing the pubococcygeus muscles -- aim to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Kegels are often used to increase sexual satisfaction and to prepare a pregnant woman's body for the stress of childbirth. They may also "mean the difference between leaking and staying dry or between leaking a small amount and leaking a significant amount," says Shah.
Go to a Biofeedback Session
"Some people don't know where the pelvic floor muscles are," says Shah. During a biofeedback session, a physical therapist or a physician attaches an EMG patch on the perineum -- the area between the anus and the genitals. When the patient squeezes, both the therapist and the patient can see the activity displayed graphically on a screen. If the patient is incorrectly exercising the bladder, urethral or pelvic muscles, the therapist can then teach her how to perform the correct targeted exercises. Ultimately, these exercises should help relieve incontinence by building strength and bladder control.
Limit Your Intake of Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which means that they stimulate the kidney to produce more amounts of urine than it would if it were processing water. In addition, caffeine can irritate the bladder and increase the urge to urinate. "If you make more pee, you're more likely to leak if you sneeze," says Shah. By cutting down on your daily dose of coffee or wine, you're cutting down your risk of experiencing an episode of incontinence.
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