Control Incontinence with Exercises and Natural Treatments

Having to wear a diaper, taking a drug, or having an operation are the only three solutions most conventional doctors offer to those suffering from incontinence. Incontinence is the inability to hold urine and often leads to embarrassing leaks. Incontinence is more likely to happen to women and is, in part, due to some sort of pelvic dysfunction. However, there are some natural treatments available that can help you control incontinence.

These natural treatments are things you can do to control incontinence and does not require spending any money but finding some relief. Cut down or eliminate caffeine and alcohol to help control incontinence. Caffeine irritates the bladder and causes it to become more intense and flow more easily. It also makes you urinate more often and if you have trouble holding urine the last thing you need is something that makes you go even more. Alcohol causes the pelvic muscles to weaken making it harder to retain water. The weak muscles strain to hold back urine and like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic, which causes one to urinate more often.

However, drinking more water actually helps control incontinence. One would think drinking water will cause you to urinate more often but drinking less water causes more irritation in the bladder, which causes the bladder to weaken and, therefore, increases the need to urinate even more. Unlike caffeine and alcohol, water doesn't irritate it flushes out any bacteria build up and excess acid in the system that can cause problems. Your body is mostly water, so you can't go wrong providing it with water. Instead of drinking, try sipping, at least 8 ounces of water a day but do not drink any water three hours before you go to bed to eliminate any urges. Try avoiding aspartame to help control incontinence. These artificial sweeteners seem to irritate the bladder.

A natural treatment that helps strengthen the muscles of the pelvic is to try some pelvic exercises called kegels. To do kegels, locate your pelvic muscles by trying to stop or slow down urine when you use the bathroom or when you are trying to not pass gas. Then squeeze the muscles several times a day for 10 seconds. Make sure you are breathing normally and don't hold your breath or pull in your abdominal muscles when doing the exercises. You'll know you are doing them correctly when you feel a lifting sensation in your vagina or a pulling sensation in your rectum. Do this exercise at least 45 times a day to help strengthen the pelvic muscles and control incontinence.

One last natural treatment to help control incontinence is to control your feelings or urges to go. When you feel the urge, stop what you are doing and sit still and quiet to control the urge. Take a few deep breaths and start your kegel exercises but don't relax too long in between contractions. Once the urge goes away, go to the bathroom, don't rush to the bathroom, but go at a normal pace and keep doing the kegel exercies.