Lifestyle Tips for Urinary Incontinence | Tennessee Valley Urology Center

Are you having trouble controlling your bladder? There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition. In fact, millions of women in the US have it. Tennessee Valley Urology Center has some lifestyle tips to help better you deal with the pressure of UI.

Your doctor can prescribe a treatment plan for your particular case of incontinence. This plan may include lifestyle changes, medication, or surgery. It’s important that you follow your doctor’s instructions if you want to experience relief.

What kind of lifestyle changes can help treat urinary incontinence?

Kegel exercises Stronger pelvic floor muscles can help you gain better control of your bladder. You can practice Kegel exercises to strengthen those muscles. Contract your pelvic floor muscles (they’re the ones that allow you to stop the stream of urine–and hold them for five to ten seconds, then relax. Experts recommend you perform at least two sessions of Kegel exercises daily, about 30 contractions per session. You can learn more about Kegel exercises here.

Bladder Retraining
Sometimes a doctor will recommend bladder retraining. This practice aims to reduce the number of times you need to go to the bathroom, and is used in conjunction with Kegel exercises or other lifestyle changes. Retraining can also help strengthen the bladder, so you don’t feel the need to go as soon as it starts to fill. Retraining begins with setting a regular bathroom schedule. You will try to gradually increase the length of time that passes between each bathroom visit.

Caffeine and alcohol
Both caffeine and alcohol have a diuretic effect on the body, which means they increase how much urine you produce. Coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate are common sources of caffeine which you might need to limit or avoid to better control your symptoms.

Artificial sweeteners
We all know that avoiding sugar is a good idea, but what about artificial sweeteners? Unfortunately, some artificial sweeteners are known to irritate the bladder, and they also act as a diuretic. The natural sweetener, stevia, doesn’t appear to cause bladder irritation.

Other dietary irritants
Different foods may irritate different people’s bladders and increase urine production. Some common offenders include tomatoes, apples, citrus, spicy foods and corn syrup. If these foods bother your bladder, limiting or avoiding them may help decrease the number of bathroom visits and embarrassing accidents.

Do you suspect you might have urinary incontinence? Help is not far away! Call us at 423-472-3201 to schedule your appointment today or visit our website to learn more about our services.