There are many treatments for urinary incontinence, and the most appropriate treatment for you will depend on the cause of your incontinence. For problems in both the male and the female, incontinence treatment can help to manage and often even cure the problem.
Treatments for urinary adult incontinence can be as simple as behavioral changes, or they can include physical therapy, drugs or surgery. So when you begin having problems with incontinence the first thing that you want to do is discuss the problem with your doctor. Having a medical professional assess your incontinence problem will let you know exactly what you are dealing with, and your doctor can suggest a course of treatment specific to your symptoms.
For example, if you are suffering from stress incontinence, your doctor may suggest that you start with Kegel exercises because the muscles of your pelvic floor are weak. Kegel exercises generally take several months before they generate any noticeable results, but they are a simple solution to an annoying problem. If your stress incontinence is occurring simply because your pelvic floor muscles are out of shape, then toning your muscles is the perfect solution for your problem, and it has no side effects. However, if your pelvic muscles are strong and you are still having a problem, then perhaps medication or surgery are in order for you. Your doctor will be able to assess the situation and offer sound advice.
When your doctor suggests behavioral changes to treat your urinary incontinence, you may simply have to watch your diet and stay away from certain foods and drinks. Caffeine and alcohol are known to irritate the bladder as well as act as a diuretic, which makes the body shed more fluid adding stress to your urinary system. Spicy foods can also irritate the bladder, so something as simple as modifying your diet may be all you need to do to restore your continence.
Pelvic floor exercises or Kegel exercises help to alleviate the symptoms of stress incontinence. These exercises simply strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, and in virtually every case of incontinence the pelvic floor muscles are weak. However, to work, these muscles must be done regularly and correctly, and as with any muscle it will take several months of dedicated exercise to really get them stronger.
Sometimes simply dropping a few pounds will restore continence, so if you are overweight, this may be the perfect incentive for you to shed those extra pounds. If you are too heavy now, losing weight will also be great for every other aspect of your health.
Bladder training is another a method of treatment, which simply means that you train your bladder to hold urine for longer durations of time. Start by trying to postpone a visit to the bathroom by for about ten minutes. Then as that time frame becomes normal for you, increase it by another twenty minutes. Your goal is to visit the bathroom on a schedule ideally every three to four hours.
Your doctor may also recommend medication for treating your incontinence, and you will probably use medication in conjunction with behavioral training or physical therapy. The problem with medication is that many of them have side effects to deal with like constipation, dry mouth, blurred vision and the inability to urinate. Some of the newer, time released medicines have fewer side effects. And when medication does not work, there are instances where surgery is warranted.
Generally it is better to start your treatment with behavioral changes and physical therapy if you can simply because they have virtually no side effects at all. However, there are times when medication or surgery is called for, and this is precisely why you want to discuss this problem with your doctor. Whether you are male or female, treatment options are available for you that can dramatically improve your condition. So as you are working with your doctor to care for your condition, make sure that you have quality incontinence products at your disposal. At DryForLife we have been helping people select the right incontinence products for their needs for over forty years.
Further Incontinence Treatments Articles
- Sensible Incontinence Treatments
- Urinary Incontinence Treatment Options
- Urinary Incontinence Treatments
- Male and Female Incontinence Treatment Options are Available
- Stress, Urge and Overflow Incontinence Treatment is Available
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Tags: Adult Incontinence, incontinence products, Kegel exercises, Urinary Incontinence
