Incontinence Treatment Options: Regain Your Confidence and Comfort

If you are someone who has urine leaks on a regular basis, we know how frustrating it can be to simply go about your everyday life. Whether you've been experiencing incontinence symptoms for a while or you've only noticed them recently, you're probably eager to find a way to treat your condition.

Fortunately, there are plenty of effective management techniques, intervention methods, and treatment options available. The good news is that you can still lead a confident and comfortable life, even if you experience urine leakage.

In this article, we'll shed light on some of the most worthwhile lifestyle changes and recommended procedures for those with urinary incontinence.

16 Incontinence Treatment Options

Fortunately, there are plenty of effective ways to treat incontinence. Your options typically fall into three distinct categories, including lifestyle changes, management techniques, and surgical treatment.

Lifestyle changes

By making a few simple adjustments to your lifestyle, you can reduce leaks and enjoy a better quality of life.

1. Avoid bladder irritants

Did you know certain foods and drinks can irritate your bladder? This is why you need to urinate more frequently after drinking caffeinated beverages. Some of the bladder irritants you should try to limit if you have urinary incontinence include:

• Coffee

• Tea

• Energy drinks

• Citrus fruits

• Spicy food

• Alcohol

• Cigarettes

2. Exercise regularly

Regular exercise not only helps manage weight (which can put added pressure on your bladder but also improves overall health, mood and bladder function. Cardio exercise and pelvic floor exercises are the most beneficial for incontinence.

3. Avoid heavy lifting heavy objects

If you suffer from stress incontinence, you should try to avoid lifting heavy objects, as this can trigger urine leakage by increasing intra-abdominal pressure. It is important to learn proper lifting techniques or ask for help when moving heavy objects. To strengthen your muscles, rather than weight -lifting you may wish to try low-impact exercise like swimming.

4. Eat a healthy diet

Not only does eating a healthy diet improve your overall health, but the right foods can provide support to sensitive bladders. Research indicates that alkaline foods such as pears, bananas and green beans may be gentler on the bladder compared to acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits. Maintaining a balanced diet and avoiding bladder irritants can support better bladder control.

Management techniques

Management techniques provide affordable and accessible ways for you to manage your urinary incontinence symptoms.

5. Bladder training

Bladder training involves gradually increasing the intervals between bathroom visits. It the first-line treatment for overactive bladder or urge incontinence as it can help you gain control over the bladder.

The aim is to strengthen your bladder and not give in to the urges your body feels to use the bathroom. This is an effective technique for those who have an overactive bladder. It is best to complete bladder retraining over 6 weeks with a healthcare professional supervising you.

6. Wear incontinence products

Incontinence products, like our leak-proof underwear and incontinence pads, are must-have items for those who experience urine leakage. Normal underwear simply does not provide the absorption you need to stay dry throughout the day.

Jude's leak-proof underwear is designed to hold up to eight teaspoons of urine, and our absorbent pads are perfect for medium leaks and gushes.

7. Pelvic floor exercises

Your pelvic floor muscles can become weak due to ageing, pregnancy, childbirth, or injury. However, you can strengthen these muscles by performing simple exercises that involve contracting and relaxing the muscles in your lower abdomen.

Pelvic floor muscle training can be carried out in the comfort of your home or alongside a professional physiotherapist.

8. Bladder care supplements

Jude's bladder control supplements are packed with natural ingredients like soy phytoestrogen and pumpkin seeds. Many women have found the formulation has helped them to regain control of their bladder in just 12 weeks. Please consult a healthcare provider before starting any supplementation, as their effectiveness and safety can vary from person to person.

9. Balancing your hormones

Menopausal women are at risk of incontinence because of a drop in oestrogen levels. If you are experiencing symptoms of menopause alongside bladder symptoms then make sure you discuss this with your doctor as you may benefit from HRT to replace the oestrogen you are losing during menopause.

Interventional therapies

Interventional therapies, like nerve stimulation and specialised injections, can offer life-changing results for those with incontinence.

10. Sacral nerve stimulation

Your sacral nerves (located in the base of your spine) play an essential role in your bladder control. Sacral nerve stimulation involves using an electronic device to stimulate your nerves. This treatment has been shown to be effective for managing overactive bladder and urge incontinence in those who haven’t responded to other treatments. symptoms.

11. Botox injections

Botox injections into the bladder wall can help with managing urge incontinence as it relaxes the bladder muscles and reduces that feeling of urgency or frequency. Although the improvement is significant you may require repeat treatments every few months.

12. Bulking material injections

Bulking materials are injected into the tissue surrounding the urethra to offer support to this area and help the urethra stay closed. This is an effective procedure used to treat stress incontinence but the injections may need to be repeated every few months to maintain its effectiveness.

Surgical treatments

If you've tried lifestyle changes, management techniques, and interventional therapies with no results, then your doctor may suggest that you could be a candidate for surgical treatment. Always remember to discuss both benefits and potential complications with a urinary specialist before opting for surgery.

13. Prolapse surgery

Prolapse surgery is an option for women who have pelvic organ prolapse. One common procedure is sacrocolpopexy where sutures are used to attach the prolapsed organs to the surrounding tissue or ligaments providing support and improving both prolapse and incontinence.

14. Sling procedures

Sling surgery involves placing a pelvic sling under your urethra. This sling offers support to your bladder and helps keep your urethra closed when you perform physical actions like coughing and laughing. This procedure has a high success rate for stress incontinence.

15. Catheters

Urinary catheters may be recommended by your doctor if you battle to empty your bladder fully. Urinary catheters work by inserting a small tube into your urethra and using it to intermittently empty your bladder. If you need to use the catheter more than seven times a day, then you may need to use a catheter bag instead.

While using catheters can be uncomfortable at first, you'll soon get used to it. Your doctor will also provide detailed instructions about how to use and clean the catheter properly.

16. Treating underlying medical conditions

If your urinary incontinence is caused by a medical condition, you need to treat this condition to alleviate your symptoms. For example, if your urine leaks are caused by constipation, you may continue to experience urine leakage until you treat your constipation. The same goes for things like neurological conditions, recurrent UTIs, etc.

A Closer Look at Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is characterised by involuntary urine leakage, with over 50% of women experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. There are five main types of urinary incontinence, including:

• Urge incontinence - preceded by a sudden, overwhelming urge to urinate

• Stress incontinence - caused by physical actions like sneezing and coughing

• Mixed incontinence - a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence

• Overflow incontinence - an almost-constant dribbling of pee because of an overly full bladder

• Functional incontinence - caused by difficulty in reaching the toilet due to a physical or cognitive issue

Incontinence symptoms

Your symptoms will depend on the underlying causes of your incontinence as well as the type of incontinence you have. However, some of the common symptoms include:

• The need to urinate frequently

• Leaking urine throughout the day without warning

• Loss of bladder control

• Wetting the bed

While these symptoms may be embarrassing or debilitating but they are common and manageable with the right treatment..

Incontinence causes

The causes of urinary incontinence can be quite complex and differ from person to person. However, some of the most common causes include:

• Damaged or weakened pelvic floor muscles due to pregnancy, childbirth, or injury

• Low levels of oestrogen due to menopause

• Urinary tract infections

• Diabetes

• Kidney stones

• Sleep apnea

• Constipation (extra pressure is put on the bladder)

• Certain medications, including diuretics, sleeping aids, and antidepressants

In most cases, there is a combination of at least a few causes behind someone's bladder control problem.

FAQs

Why is urinary incontinence more common in women than it is in men?

Urinary incontinence in women is more prevalent because of the life experiences many women go through, including pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. These events can weaken the pelvic floor muscles, resulting in an increased risk of urinary incontinence.

What should I do if I think I have urinary incontinence?

If you suspect you have any type of incontinence, you should make an appointment with your general practitioner as soon as possible. Once your GP has determined the cause of your incontinence, you can learn the best ways to treat your condition and manage your symptoms.

How is urinary incontinence diagnosed?

Before receiving a diagnosis of urinary incontinence, your GP will ask you about your medical history and symptoms. You may also be asked to keep a bladder diary to keep track of how often you experience leaks and when they happen. In some cases, you may also undergo a physical exam.

Who is most at risk for developing urinary incontinence?

Women over 50 are most at risk for urinary incontinence. This is mostly because of the hormonal imbalances that come with menopause, as well as the natural thinning of the bladder wall due to ageing. Women of this age are also most likely to have experienced pregnancy and childbirth.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, conditions like stress incontinence, urinary tract infections, and bladder control problems are often seen as embarrassing. When we experience these conditions, we often feel ashamed of our symptoms and struggle to speak about them, even with our own doctor.

The reality is that almost half of adult women will experience urine leaks at some point in their lives, so this is a topic that should become normalised. Here at Jude, we are passionate about smashing stigmas and breaking stereotypes by providing educational resources and creating specialised incontinence products.

If you are someone who experiences urinary incontinence, know that you are not alone. Thanks to modern management techniques and treatment options, you can lead a happy and normal life.

Jude’s clinically proven supplements give you better bladder and pelvic floor control, helping you sleep through the night and regain the freedom to live life on your own terms. With just one capsule morning and night, you'll have relief from need-to-go urgency in just 12 weeks.