Many people have either urinary or bowel weaknesses that might have developed due to illnesses, accidents or pregnancy. The most important thing is to learn how to manage and deal with incontinence so that it doesn’t have a huge impact on your life.
The crucial thing is not the severity of the setback but rather, how you cope with the problem and power your way through it.
In the vast majority of cases, incontinence can be treated and the results tend to be successful. The biggest challenge is how to get through that period of treatment when things are not going well.
So, what can we do?
Exercise
Exercise is a key aspect in all our lives. A walk in the fresh air makes us all feel a bit better and a bit of sunshine really can help change our mood. So even if you are incontinent, getting outside is crucial. It means that you need to be prepared with suitable incontinence pads or pants but, if you can, half an hour of fresh air will make you feel much better.
Exercise will also help you manage your weight as keeping a healthy weight is useful in beating incontinence. This is because being overweight puts additional strain on your pelvic floor muscles, making them weak. This, in turn, can lead to a lack of control of your bowels and bladder.
Exercise for your pelvic floor is vital for both men and women. Learn how to strengthen it as a strong pelvic floor will help reduce the symptoms of incontinence.
Food and drink
If you are incontinent its very tempting to stop drinking water, thinking that the less that you consume then the less urine you will expel. However, our bodies require a certain amount of water to function properly. By trying to reduce the amount of water that goes into the bladder we end up making our urine more concentrated, so that instead of a pale, straw colour, it becomes a darker yellow and begins to smell a lot more pungent. At this stage the concentrated urine irritates the bladder making you need to urinate more frequently. Therefore, drinking plenty of water is a key to helping manage incontinence. You may find that tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and alcohol make your symptoms worse, so keep a record of what you are drinking and—where possible—replace these with water.
Certain foods can also irritate your bladder and make your symptoms worse. Tomato-based products and spicy foods are particularly bad, as is chocolate. Generally, a healthy diet will ease your symptoms. If you have an overactive bladder, it can be helpful to increase your intake of fibre as constipation can make the condition worse.
If you are suffering from incontinence there is an array of different products that will help you: from bed pads and sheets, to washable pants and disposable pads. All forms of incontinence products have improved drastically in recent years, with new lines being introduced specifically for men and women. These advancements mean that it is now easier to target specific areas dependent on your gender and many people report that the overall experience is much better. There are even varying levels of absorbency, so it’s easy to find the right product for you.
Have a look at apogium.co.uk to find the right products that will help you feel dry, secure and let you continue to lead an active life.
