What Causes Incontinence and How to Avoid It

What Causes Incontinence and How to Avoid It

You might think that urinary incontinence will only affect the elderly. Although poor bladder control can happen due to advanced age, it can likewise happen to younger people. With various factors that can affect your health, health issues that usually affect only the elderly are now affecting younger people. One example is urinary incontinence. Unless you learn how to manage it or better yet, prevent it, living with incontinence can be frustrating. It also adversely affects everything you do. Hence, it pays to understand what causes the medical condition and how you can avoid it.

Pregnancy and childbirth

The uterus presses down on the bladder when you get pregnant due to the sheer weight. It could be the reason for experiencing incontinence. It may also stretch and weaken your vaginal muscles when you give birth. The lack of bladder control during these stages may cause incontinence. Since these things are natural, you can’t do anything but deal with the issue until things get better.

Menopause

Urinary incontinence is twice as likely to happen in women than in men. It’s even worse for women experiencing menopause. The decrease in estrogen levels could be the culprit. The thinning of the vaginal tissue is another problem. When you give birth vaginally, it could weaken your muscles and bladder control support. You may also experience other health issues during menopause.

Medications

Some medications may cause incontinence. For example, diuretics will more likely worsen the condition. Talk to your doctor about ways to deal with this issue or if alternatives to your current medication are available.

Lifestyle

Your food preferences may lead to incontinence. If you always eat unhealthy dishes, it could be a problem. Let go of oily and acidic foods. Find fiber-rich dishes to aid in digestion. Try to exercise more often, but don’t choose high-impact exercise techniques. Take it easy in the gym, but try to be there as frequently as possible. Stop smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, and coffee. You might have to sacrifice many things, but it will pay off when you avoid this medical condition.

Urinary tract infection

If you got your urinary tract infected, urination isn’t only uncontrollable. It’s also painful. At the earliest signs, you must see your doctor. It’s also possible to have tumours anywhere close to the urinary tract. It places an unnecessary burden on your bladder. Your physician will suggest the best way to deal with the problem. If surgery is necessary to remove the tumour, you must do it as soon as possible.

Excessive intake of diuretics

There’s nothing wrong with staying hydrated. Bringing a bottle of water with you will help remove toxins in your body. You will also have better digestion. When you constantly take fluids, you don’t even care about what you take. You choose soda or coffee. As a result, you will always have the urge to pee. Eventually, it could lead to urinary incontinence.

Be aware of these possible reasons for the problem. Then, change your lifestyle and don’t wait until it is too late. The good thing is you can always use products to help you avoid wetting yourself, especially in public places.