How You Can Treat Incontinence Naturally*

*This is a collaborative post*

It is an embarrassing issue but one that can be managed effectively with incontinence products, medication and sometimes surgery, depending on the root cause. But, as HARTMANN Direct explore, there are natural products that can help treat urinary incontinence too.

People rarely talk about the incontinence they suffer, with fewer still hopping along to see their GP. However, there are steps you can take to take back control of your bladder naturally. Take a look at some of these ideas from HARTMANN Direct.

These are not meant as a substitute for consulting with your doctor. There are many reasons why you may be experiencing incontinence, so get checked out before trying any of these ideas.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

The pelvic muscle is responsible for maintaining control over your bladder and when you urinate. When this is damaged or becomes weak, it can mean occasional leaks of urine. Pelvic floor muscles are simple clench and release exercises that can significantly help reduce leakage.

Get Fit(ter)

Your overall health also impacts on incontinence and so, if you are carrying a few extra pounds or are overweight, then now is the time to ditch it. Excess stomach fat places pressure on the bladder and by losing weight, you may find your incontinence improves.

Train Your Bladder

This takes patience but training the bladder is key for many people to control incontinence. The trick is to understand when you need to urinate before the mad rush to the toilet. Try delay urinating by 10 minutes, slowly building up to 20 minutes. You aim is to be able to use the bathroom every four hours, with no mad dashes.

Magnesium

An important mineral that helps in proper muscle and nerve function, taking a magnesium supplement can help people with incontinence. Research suggests that it reduces bladder spasm, allowing the bladder to completely empty as a result.

As well as a supplement, you could try increasing your intake of magnesium-rich food but, as with all changes to your diet or before taking supplements, consult your doctor first.

Vitamin D

Essential for maximum calcium intake and healthy bones, there is also research that suggests that vitamin D is important in reducing the risk of incontinence.

A small study from 2010 found that women over the age of 20 who had vitamin D levels in the normal range were less prone to pelvic floor disorders, including incontinence.

But, many women (and men) can be short on the sunshine vitamin and so in the grey of winter with little sunshine to enjoy, make sure you take in your daily requirement of vitamin D with milk, fish and eggs.

Stop Smoking

Nicotine is known to be a substance that impacts significantly on the body, including the bran. But it also impacts on the bladder too by irritating it.

Again, another small study, this time at a Greek university, found that heavy smokers were more likely to be incontinent. As well as nicotine affecting the bladder, the spasm of coughing fits that some smokers suffer also contribute to the risk of incontinence.

Acupuncture

Not everyone is convinced that acupuncture has any beneficial effects other than helping someone to relax. But, many therapists are convinced that it works to alleviate several ailments, incontinence being one of them.

But it takes patience and perseverance, say acupuncturists, although some people who have undergone treatment saying that they did notice an improvement in the frequency of occasional leaks of urine.

Yoga

Yoga is a form of exercise that has been around for some time and there are suggestions, backed by small pockets of research, that suggests regular yoga sessions can help to tighten important abdominal muscles, including the pelvic floor. Great for all over well-being, many people swear by it.

Cut Out Caffeine  

Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it encourages the kidneys to make more urine. For anyone suffering from incontinence, this presents them with an issue that they can find increasingly difficult to manage.

With this in mind, consider cutting out caffeine completely or if this sounds too big a leap, reduce your intake to two or three cups of tea or coffee a day.

Sip More Water

It is counterintuitive to drink more water when you are struggling to control your bladder, but dehydration could be the very thing that is exacerbating it.

Highly concentrated urine as a result of being dehydrated causes bladder irritation which leads to increased frequency in the need to pass urine. By sipping water rather than having large drinks sporadically throughout the day, you are helping your body to remain hydrated.

With quality incontinence pads and pants, HARTMANN Direct is the go-to company for products that aid in the management of incontinence.

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