Are Fillers Right for You?
Injectable cosmetic treatments are the medical aesthetics success story of the 21st Century. In 2022, over 15 million Americans requested some form of injectable procedure to improve their appearance.
Avoid These Things if You Have Urinary Incontinence
Loss of bladder control, whether temporary or permanent, can be embarrassing and isolating. When you doubt your ability to control urination fully, you might begin to avoid social situations. Even a sneeze or cough can turn into a potentially mortifying situation.
Urinary incontinence can be treated medically, and there are ways you can help yourself, depending on the reasons for your incontinence. At Bayview General Medicine, we’re here to help. Dr. Richard Blanchar and his team can help with diagnosis and treatment while offering suggestions for effective lifestyle changes.
Types of incontinence
Occasional, minor leaks of urine affect many people. While urinary incontinence isn’t an inevitable part of aging, it’s more common as the population ages. However, it’s not a singular problem; several types of urinary incontinence exist. These include:
- Urge incontinence: a sudden, intense need to urinate, causing leakage before you reach a toilet
- Stress incontinence: leakage related to an action, like sneezing, running, or laughter
- Overflow incontinence: resulting from incomplete emptying of the bladder, sometimes linked to chronic diseases
You can have more than one type of urinary incontinence active at the same time. It can be important to track leakage issues to help diagnose the type of incontinence(s) you have.
Avoid these things if you have urinary incontinence
Regardless of the reasons for incontinence, some triggers can make leakage episodes more likely. Consider avoiding these triggers to help bypass urinary mishaps.
Dehydration
This might seem counterintuitive, but you should drink enough fluid to produce a urinary urge every few hours. The urine concentration during hydration periods can irritate the bladder and aggravate incontinence.
Diuretics
The exception to the liquids rule includes drinks containing acids, alcohol, and caffeine. These beverages can lead to fluid loss, but they also cause bladder irritation, bringing on more frequent urination and causing an urge incontinence issue called overactive bladder (OAB).
Weight gain
Another risk factor for urge and stress incontinence is weight gain, which may increase the pressure on organs in the abdomen. This includes the bladder and increases your risk of OAB.
Smoking
As well as increasing the amount you cough, a trigger of stress incontinence, tobacco use may increase bladder irritation and raise your risk of bladder cancer.
Constipation
While it’s a different body system, constipation affects urinary tract health. A high-fiber diet, good hydration, and physical activity keep bowel movements soft and regular. It’s particularly important to avoid constipation if you’re taking certain drugs for urinary incontinence.
Blood sugar swings
For those with diabetes, avoid losing control over blood sugar levels. Chronically high blood sugar levels can increase the amount of urine your body produces, resulting in urge incontinence.
Contact Bayview General Medicine for help with incontinence management. You can request an appointment online or by calling our office directly. Other lifestyle changes you can make, including regular pelvic floor exercises, bladder training, and toilet scheduling, can help you regain control over bladder function, so book your consultation today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Botox®: It's Still the Gold Standard in Wrinkle Reduction
Botox® Cosmetic was the first neuromodulator approved by the FDA for medical aesthetic use over 20 years ago. Today, Botox is still the gold standard for active wrinkle reduction — here’s why.
How Can I Get More Collagen?
About 30% of your body’s protein is collagen. It’s the most abundant protein and a basic building block for skin and connective tissues. Your body produces collagen throughout your life, but the rate slows as you age.
Let's Talk About Losing Fat During Menopause
Weight gain during menopause is a common challenge for women as they get older. Hormonal changes affecting how your body stores fat make it more difficult to maintain your ideal figure. Weight gain doesn’t have to be inevitable, however.
Can You Help Me Reverse Sun Damage?
There is a wide range of treatments to help you reverse the effects of sun damage on your skin, including new technology and refined traditional therapies. Here’s how we can help you regenerate and resurface your sun-damaged skin.
4 Tips for Getting Rid of Love Handles
It’s not simply your imagination when you think your body shape changes, even when you’re neither gaining nor losing weight. Love handles are a common problem area for many. It’s a difficult area to tone with exercise.