Today we are going to look at some of the finer details related to Incontinence. A couple of blogs ago, we talked about the different types of Incontinence and their main points. Today we are going to talk about some different things that can influence your symptoms of Incontinence.

The first thing I want to mention to you guys is there are ways to change, and even solve, your Incontinence! You can have HOPE that you won’t have to deal with leakage every day!

Okay- now let’s get down to the fun stuff!

Bladder Irritants

Most people don’t really consider what they are putting into their bodies when discussing what is coming out of their body. Have you ever considered that your diet might be making your signs of urgency (gotta go RIGHT NOW), frequency (why am I peeing 12x per day?!), and leaking (any amount of urine) worse?

There are several ways this can happen. One of the biggest things in the management of Urinary Incontinence is managing the intake of bladder irritating foods and drinks.

The following all make the list of “Naughty” foods/drinks that irritate your bladder:

·      Coffee

·      Tea

·      Carbonated drinks (with or without Caffeine)

·      Alcohol

·      Lemon juice

·      Lime Juice

·      Other fruit juices

·      Spicy Foods

·      Tomato based products

·      Chocolate

Now- You don’t have to cut out all of these things forever- especially if they are on your favorite’s/must-have-to-survive list. But- maybe we limit your overall intake of them?

If your brave, take them out! See how your symptoms change! Then-slowly, like every two days, add one back in. You get to keep that item if it doesn’t change your symptoms! Make sure you note these changes so you can keep track of what causes you increased leaking, etc.

If that item does cause increase your symptoms, consider decreasing your overall intake or nixing them from your diet. If you can’t get rid of that item (for me, its coffee!), then we need to really increase your water intake (1/2 your body weight in ounces is what you should be drinking daily) so that we can keep your bladder flushed of all irritants. Either way, we get you on the road to less leakages and a better life!

Also- if we know what triggers your bladder and/or causes increased leakages, we can begin to understand when to be more prepared for possible leakages based off of what you are consuming.

For me, I know that when I have coffee-it’s going to irritate my bladder and cause my frequency to go up until I have gotten rid of it all from my bladder. But what happens if I don’t drink any water? Why would I drink more liquids when I already have to pee a TON and am LEAKING?

• If you are dehydrated, you make the irritation to your bladder WORSE!

Without water/fluids, there is nothing to help dilute the irritating fluid. When we have increased “Nice” fluids these help to decrease the “Naughty” irritating items and their effects on your bladder. Also, if you don’t get all of the irritation out on the first potty break, then you’ve now got prolonged urge to go with very little amounts of urine present in the bladder! It is important to note that:

1. There can be irritating fluids left in the bladder if we don’t have enough fluids to get rid of it all.

2. Some fluid takes longer to digest and reach the bladder, in general.

3. Sipping on irritating fluids all morning will cause the irritation to constantly be in your bladder (and your body will constantly be trying to get rid of it= MORE TRIPS TO THE POTTY)

Incontinence tends to be very prevalent in those that drink irritating fluids, which includes some supplements like Spark. The risk goes up especially when people are drinking these things all morning long! Do your bladder a favor and drink it in one sitting so that you can get the good effects of Caffeine and then can get it out of your system!

Big take aways! Limit the amount or time that irritants are present in your body, and drink LOTS OF WATER!

Another way to potentially alter your symptoms would be with a voiding schedule.

This tends to help a lot for people who have Urge Incontinence . Most healthcare providers consider “normal” Urinary Frequency to be 4-6x per day or every 2-4 hours. A voiding schedule can help adjust your habits so that you can begin to decrease your number of trips to the bathroom and learn to manage the urge response from the brain.

What about your children?

Urinary issues are pretty common and may be assisted by drinking more water (which seems like the opposite thing to do- it’s not), eatting a diet with lots of fiber, and exercise! Constipation tends to play a LARGE FACTOR for our kids who are experiencing Urinary Incontinence. When the rectum is full, it takes space away from our bladder. If the bladder cannot expand, then the need to go to the bathroom is triggered more because there is not enough room to store urine. So even if your kiddos don’t mention having bowel issues, or straining to void, they may be experiencing constipation.

For more information on Pediatric Urinary Incontinence, go check out our video with Dr. Amanda Thompson (click here)! There are several aspects to learn about when we are talking about pediatric urinary dysfunction!

Our next topic is medication!

Medications often have symptoms that we don’t always realize before taking them. When your physician tells you to take a blood pressure medication, an anti-anxiety medication or even a histamine, you tend to just take them. There is generally a good reason that they are prescribing them. However, not many of us look at what the prescribed drug’s most common side effects are.

If you’re interested, go to drugs.com. This website will have a search bar to enter the name of your medication. It will present the medications common side effects which could include increased frequency or urgency. The more you know about what is going into your body, the more we will understand about how/why your body is performing the way it is!

Common drugs that cause symptoms of Urinary Incontinence are: Diuretics, blood pressure medications, sedatives, anti-anxiety medications, and antihistamines.

I do suggest that you do your own research about the medications you’re taking even if they aren’t a part of the list mentioned above. It is always good to know what you are putting in your body!

The last thoughts I have on this subject are focused more on internal struggles.

How is Incontinence changing your life? Is it changing what activities you do? Are you afraid to go workout, go dancing with your friends, or pick up your children at the park? I could continue with this list of activities that I have heard people report stopping because of fear created by incontinence; this includes fear of wetting oneself, fear that other people might notice by sight or smell, fear of having to wear adult diapers, etc.

Not only is Incontinence affecting your body, it’s affecting the social and emotional aspects of your life.

Many women report feeling ashamed that they are experiencing incontinence. They think it’s their fault and that no one else is struggling with this. Ladies! Its 50% of us! No matter what type of Incontinence a person is experiencing- they are embarrassed to be experiencing these types of symptoms, and many are avoiding activities that could cause or increase the risk of them leaking.

This Leads to decreased satisfaction in their social and intimate relationships and their lives in general.

So, I ask, who else is this affecting in your life?

With your current symptoms, you can’t go to the park and play with your children. Therefore, it is now affecting you and your relationship with your children. Many women report not wanting to engage in intimate activities for fear of leakage. And when they do have sex- they are worried the entire time. For most, their partners can sense that fear and are also experiencing anxiety and dissatisfaction with sexual activities. These feelings affect performance and frequency of your intimate relations. Satisfaction is being affected for both you and your partner.

So, I ask again- who else are these symptoms affecting?

The greatest news is that the symptoms of Incontinence can be altered! There is hope if you are experiencing Incontinence. You can begin to make steps to decrease the occurrence of Incontinence. All you need to do is figure out what the first step is to transforming these symptoms and your life.

Consider some of the things that we talked about today- see if they help you change your symptoms.

And as always- if you think you need more help, message me! Call Me!

Let’s talk about what you need, and the best next step for you to take back your life!

Dr. Paige Hubert, PT, DPT

Owner/Physical Therapist for Recharged Performance Therapy