Tips to prevent and/or cure urinary incontinence
What causes urinary incontinence?
Article written by Dr. Henry, urological surgeon at the Private Hospital of Antony (Paris)
Urinary incontinence is a pathology that affects both women and men, even if the latter are less affected, especially at younger ages. Incontinence is manifested by leakage of urine, frequent urination or difficulty controlling urination.
There are several causes behind urinary incontinence. These are generally phenomena that weaken or relax the muscles of the pelvic floor and thereby disrupt the proper functioning of the closure of the bladder. Thus, age, childbirth, too many pregnancies, menopause or painful physical effort are among the first causes of the development of this pathology. In addition, certain diseases such as diabetes or cystitis can also be the cause of urinary incontinence. Prevention measures against urinary incontinence can be taken throughout life, you just need to get into the right habits as soon as possible.
Diet: which drinks to choose?
Good food hygiene is a big step in the fight against urinary incontinence.
To avoid or relieve urinary incontinence, you should watch your diet. Drinks such as alcohol, tea or coffee, which stimulate the urge to urinate, should be avoided or gradually reduced. Artificial sweeteners based on sugar substitutes are also to be banned in the same way as soft drinks. Getting into the habit of not drinking too much in the evening reduces the production of urine at night and therefore potentially the risk of nocturnal urinary leakage.
It is during the day that you should try to drink as much water as possible, taking care to evenly distribute the amount consumed to avoid drinking too much water in too short a period of time. Some drinks can also be useful on a daily basis to help solve urinary problems, such as cranberry juice, which is often indicated thanks to its disinfectant effect on the urinary tract. Blueberry juice is also known for its virtues on urinary incontinence.
Healthy foods to eat daily
Aggravating factors such as obesity which exposes the bladder and muscles to permanent pressure, or constipation should be avoided. The consumption of fig prevents constipation and water retention. If the leaks appear at the time of the menopause, it is possible to try to compensate for the lack of estrogen with a more suitable diet.
Incontinence is called an emergency if it is due to a malfunction between the nerves and the muscles of the bladder. In this case, it is preferable to adopt a diet without citrus fruits, without spices and any other acidic or irritating food for the bladder. Chocolate, tomatoes, parsley and asparagus are among the foods to avoid in the diet. To restore a certain balance, vegetables rich in fiber are recommended. Leeks, lettuce, cabbage, turnips and fruits such as raspberries or redcurrants are to be preferred.
Exercises to re-educate the muscles
To prevent the onset of urinary incontinence, there are exercises that women, whether they have already given birth or not, should practice regularly in order to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Before tackling the exercises, it is obviously important to be able to locate the targeted muscles. It is enough simply for that to stop the urinary stream at the time of the micturition. Once the muscles are well identified, the exercises can begin.
The basic exercises
To start, it is possible to practice contracting and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor. The identification phase of these muscles is a crucial step, because it is not a question of working on the gluteal muscles or the stomach, but of properly targeting the muscles of the perineum. Each movement can last 5 seconds and be repeated 10 times at the beginning to gradually increase thereafter. Other variants such as contracting the muscles in a really progressive way or pushing them through the vagina as if to urinate can also be performed as the exercises progress.
Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises consist of doing the same movements, that is to say contracting the muscles as if to stop urinating, then releasing them, but this time, you have to make each contraction last for 3 seconds before releasing . The same process is to be repeated 15 times and repeated 3 times a day, 3 days a week.
People who wish to obtain the support of a coach in the rehabilitation of their muscles can take courses. These sessions are strongly recommended for pregnant women or women who have just given birth, as they help to tone the muscles of the perineum more quickly and avoid the risk of urine leakage.
In addition to adopting a more balanced diet and exercising, changing certain habits also helps reduce the risk of developing urinary incontinence. It is thus necessary to know how to spare your bladder and not to hold back too often or on the contrary to force urination. The carrying of too heavy loads, the practice of certain sports which can cause jolts such as jumping, running or aerobics must also be moderate, because the increase in abdominal pressure can promote urinary incontinence.
