If you are suffering from bladder weakness, it is likely that you will have spoken with a medical professional about the causes of it and how it can be treated and managed in the future. It can be incredibly distressing to suffer with a weak bladder and urinary incontinence. For some people it can come out of the blue, a cause of stress, an illness or maybe as a result of an accident that they have suffered. For other people a weak bladder comes from old age, pregnancy and other factors. Learning how to manage a weak bladder and the daily symptoms of incontinence will help you to live a free life, to remain comfortable and hygienic, and to work out the best way to live utilising the experience and technology available through suppliers of incontinence products.
There are many reasons why you might struggle with a weak bladder, and there is anecdotal evidence from the last year of more people suffering with a weak bladder whilst working at home, proving that there are many different weird and wonderful things that our bodies can do at times. Whether you are suffering from a relatively minor urinary incontinence problem, or a bigger problem with a severe urinary incontinence, there are things that you can do to help strengthen your bladder, receive treatment from medical professionals and use the expertise of suppliers of incontinence products to manage the day-to-day.
There are some things that you can immediately do in terms of your lifestyle and other changes that can help you to strengthen your bladder and to try and get it under control. Of course, if you are suffering with severe incontinence, you will need to look at more comprehensive treatment and use of incontinence products.
Decrease caffeine and alcohol intake – One of the first things that you can do when suffering with a weak bladder is to look to limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine. Both have diuretic properties and increase the amount of urine that your body produces. If you are already having trouble controlling your bladder, by reducing consumption of coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks, and limiting your alcohol intake, you are helping your chances of minimising the risk of incontinence.
Be careful about bladder irritants – There are several foods and products that are known to potentially irritate your bladder. This is known of certain types of artificial sweeteners due to aspartame and sodium saccharine, as well as foods such as tomatoes, apples, citrus fruits, and some spicy foods. If you notice that you need the toilet more often when eating certain types of foods, reduce your intake and see if it helps.
Exercise your pelvic floor muscles – An overactive bladder is a common cause of a weak bladder, especially amongst women. Kegel exercises are a great way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, contracting them and holding them for between five to ten seconds, relaxing them and repeating this up to 30 times, twice a day.
Use incontinence products – There is no shame in using incontinence products. Suppliers of these products can provide you with incontinence pads and pants that can be worn discreetly during the day, offering comfort and hygiene as well as giving you confidence to go about your daily life without worrying about a leaking bladder or getting caught short.
For those people who are also suffering with faecal incontinence, this can also cause long-term problems both physically and mentally for you to overcome. In much the same way as we’ve seen the different ways in which you can treat and manage urinary incontinence and a weak bladder, you’ll also find assistance and bowel incontinence products that can help you manage the problem on a daily basis, whether this is in the form of incontinence pants that you wear throughout the day or pads and incontinence bedsheets that provide a much more comfortable sleep at night. As distressing as it is to suffer with either urinary or faecal incontinence, or to be caring for someone suffering with incontinence, there is help out there from medical professionals and suppliers of incontinence products and to help you with your self-confidence.