Addressing Incontinence Through Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Coping with incontinence can be daunting, especially during its early onset years. 

But, like many conditions, incontinence is perfectly manageable. Depending on the underlying cause and its severity, the disease might even be curable. 

One of the effective ways to address an overactive bladder or bowel is to make certain lifestyle adjustments. Highlighted below are some healthy interventions for urinary and bowel incontinence.

1. Invest In Incontinence Briefs

Incontinence briefs, more commonly known as adult diapers, are diapers intended for anyone besides infants and babies. These products soak up urinary and bowel discharge, allowing you to pursue your normal routines hassle-free. 

Adult briefs come in diverse sizes to fit different wearers. Some have adjustable tabs that let you achieve your desired fit. 

Incontinence briefs also differ in their absorbency capacity. Understanding your incontinence levels is critical to choosing the best diaper for you. 

It’s also prudent to pick an adult diaper for your specific gender and incontinence type. 

As you can see, these products are available in both unisex and gender-specific options. 

While most adult diapers are meant for urinary incontinence, some can absorb both bladder and bowel discharge. The placement and thickness of the absorbency layer determine this. 

2. Enhance Adult Diapers With Booster Pads

Booster pads aren’t standalone incontinence wearables. Rather, they’re pads designed to enhance the efficiency of regular adult diapers. 

Booster pads can increase an adult brief’s capacity by up to 20 ounces. They provide leak protection for hours, minimizing the frequency of bathroom visits. 

To use a booster pad, insert it underneath your regular incontinence briefs. The pad will soak up bodily fluids before letting it flow through to the outer diaper.

3. Reinforce Your Mattress With Bed Pads

Incontinence has a way of rearing its ugly head at night. So, whether you suffer from a mild or severe condition, it pays to reinforce your bedding with bed pads. 

Bed pads are designed with an absorption layer cushions your mattress and linen from getting wet. These innovative products eliminate the worries of inadvertently soiling your bedding overnight. 

To use a bed pad, place it on top of your mattress but underneath the bed sheet. 

4. Limit Caffeinated Drinks

Can’t go a day without downing a cup of the good old coffee? Well, you’re not alone. 

Coffee enjoys an enduring appeal for its energizing and uplifting properties. The drink can heighten mental alertness, allowing you to concentrate on the task. 

However, the chief ingredient in coffee – caffeine – is also a diuretic. That’s precisely what makes coffee and other caffeinated beverages undesirable for people with incontinence. 

5. Avoid Alcohol

The health risks of alcohol consumption are well-documented. 

Studies have found that alcohol intake can compromise the efficiency of most vital organs, including the bladder. Alcohol-induced diuresis may cause the bladder walls to swell and distend to a dangerous size. 

Besides, the resultant intoxication can worsen incontinence by interfering with the brain’s ability to interpret bladder and bowel signals.

6. Quit Smoking

Smoking is even more lethal than alcohol intake. 

For starters, smoking induces throat irritation, which consequently triggers coughing spasms. Persistent coughs can strain your pelvic floor muscles, leading to unintentional urine or fecal discharge. 

Smoking may also irritate the bladder and worsen incontinence symptoms. Moreover, there are risks of bladder and bowel cancer to contend with. 

7. Stay Hydrated

Increasing water intake may not immediately sound like an effective incontinence management strategy. However, water can improve urinary incontinence by soothing bladder irritation caused by concentrated urine. 

Just be sure to drink water moderately to avoid unnecessary bathroom visits. Instead of gulping down huge volumes at once, consider sipping occasionally. 

The idea is to sip frequently enough to avoid dehydration. Remember that you’re already dehydrated by the time you feel thirsty.

8. Switch to A High-Fiber Diet

This is the only lifestyle change on this list that primarily targets bowel incontinence. 

Dietary fiber has been shown to promote bowel movements by maintaining stool consistency. The nutrient is best known for its stool-bulking properties, making it an excellent remedy for constipation. 

Noteworthy fiber-rich foods include whole grains, fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds. 

In the same vein, avoid foods known to exacerbate incontinence. Spicy and acidic products are especially notorious for irritating the bladder and bowel, worsening incontinence symptoms.

Related: What food should I eat? The healthy eating plate

9. Practice Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which regulate bladder and bowel activity. They aid incontinence by giving you better control over your bladder and bowel muscles. 

Therefore, consider performing a kegel workout before heading off to work. Due to their low intensity, you can practice these exercises even when in a public place without drawing the spotlight on yourself. 

To perform kegel exercises, pull your genitals in and then lift them up. Maintain the position for about five seconds before relaxing your muscles. Wait another five seconds and then repeat the process. 

Related: Top 10 Exercises for Busy Moms Working or Staying At Home

10. Watch Your Weight

Obesity and overweight are major risk factors for urinary and bowel incontinence. 

Being overweight can aggravate incontinence by exerting heavy pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, ultimately weakening such muscles. That explains why weight loss is touted as an effective incontinence management strategy. 

Since shedding weight often involves rigorous workouts, some of which might worsen incontinence, the trick is to avoid packing up extra pounds in the first place. 

Final Word

Practicing the above healthy lifestyle habits may not magic incontinence away. But it can help manage the condition and go about your routines like other normal adults.