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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffHealthy lifestyle practices can go a long way toward easing symptoms of stress incontinence.
- Shed extra weight. If you're overweight — your body mass index (BMI) is 25 or higher — losing excess pounds can help reduce the overall pressure on your bladder and pelvic floor muscles. Losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight may help improve your stress incontinence.
- Add fiber to your diet. Constipation contributes to incontinence, especially if you often strain during bowel movements. Keeping your bowel movements soft and regular allows urine to flow freely and reduces the strain that's placed on your pelvic floor muscles. Eat high-fiber foods — whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables — to relieve and prevent constipation.
- Avoid eating or drinking substances that can irritate your bladder. For instance, if you know that drinking coffee throughout the day tends to make you go to the bathroom more frequently, try reducing the amount you drink.
- Maintain proper fluid intake. Drinking too much fluid can make you urinate more frequently. But not drinking enough can lead to a concentration of waste in your urine, which can irritate your bladder, too.
- Don't smoke. Smoking can lead to a severe chronic cough, which can aggravate the symptoms of stress incontinence.
References
- Fong E, et al. Urinary incontinence. Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice. 2010;37:599.
- Nitti VW, et al. Urinary incontinence: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, evaluation, and management overview. In: Wein AJ. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/214316744-4/1038180294/1445/63.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0798-6..50062-5--cesec2_4438. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- DuBeau C. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- DuBeau C. Epidemiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- DuBeau C. Treatment of urinary incontinence. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- Urinary incontinence. WomensHealth.gov. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/urinary-incontinence.cfm. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- Urinary incontinence in women. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/index.htm. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 19, 2010.
- Clinician training & resources FAQ. FemSoft Insert. http://www.femsofttraining.com. Accessed Sept. 28, 2010.
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