Addressing Incontinence Through Healthy Lifestyle Habits

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

But, much like many other conditions, incontinence is perfectly manageable. Depending on the underlying cause and its severity, it may even be curable. 

One of the effective ways to address an overactive bladder or bowel is by making certain lifestyle modifications. Below are some healthy interventions for urinary and bowel incontinent conditions.

1. Invest In Incontinence Briefs

Incontinence briefs is a more common name used for adult diapers. Basically, these are diapers meant for anybody other than infants and babies. These absorb urinary discharge and bowel so you can carry on with your routine as usual. 

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. Knowing your levels of incontinence is vital to selecting the most suitable diaper for your needs.

It is also wise to choose an adult diaper based on your sex and the nature of your incontinence.

As you may observe, these products come in unisex and gender varieties.

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

While most adult diapers are designed 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 can be all too well-known to strike at any time, particularly at night. It therefore pays whether you have a mild or serious case 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. 

Wear a bed pad on top of your mattress but under the bed sheet. 

4. Limit Caffeinated Drinks

Can’t start a day without downing a cup of the good old coffee? Well, you aren’t alone.

The popular appeal of coffee has been eternal because of its invigorating and refreshing effects. The drink heightens one’s mental alertness, concentrating on the task.

But the main constituent of coffee – caffeine – is also a diuretic. And that’s precisely what makes coffee and other drinks containing caffeine not wantable for incontinent people. 

5. Avoid Alcohol

The health risks of alcohol consumption are sufficiently documented. 

It is estimated that alcohol intake can compromise the efficiency of most vital organs, including the bladder. Diuresis from alcohol intake may affect the swelling and distension of the bladder walls to a dangerous size.

Moreover, the resultant intoxication may aggravate incontinence by interfering with the brain’s ability to interpret bladder and bowel signals correctly.

6. Quit Smoking

Smoking is even more lethal than alcohol intake.

Smokers first and foremost have throat irritation, which acts upon spasms of coughing. The chronic coughs may eventually wear out your pelvic floor muscles, thus causing involuntary urine or stool discharge.

Smoking can cause irritation to your bladder and exacerbate incontinence. You’re at risk for cancers of the bladder and bowel. 

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 by the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

8. Switch to A High-Fiber Diet

The only life change on this list that addresses bowel incontinence, dietary fiber is documented to help move the bowels by keeping stools moist. While it is more renowned for its stool-bulking action, which further makes it a very good treatment for constipation.

Notable high-fiber foods are whole grains, fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

On the same note, avoid foods that are known to worsen incontinence. Specifically, spicy and acidic products are infamous for irritating the bladder and bowel, which in turn can make symptoms of incontinence worse.

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

9. Practice Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises tighten up the pelvic muscles, which control bladder and bowel action. They are helpful with incontinence in that they give you more control over your bladder and bowel.

For this reason, do a kegel workout prior to you going off to work. Since they are low-intensity, you can do these exercises when you are in public without drawing the attention of people to yourself.

To exercise kegel, pull your genitals in and then lift them up. Hold for about five seconds before letting go of your muscles. Wait another five seconds and then repeat. 

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 tends to exert extreme pressure on pelvic floor muscles, thereby weakening these 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.