Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) affects a lot of women, especially those over 45 years old. While most suffer in silence, there are ways you can prevent or treat the condition. When left untreated, it can affect your quality of life and chip away at your confidence. In article, we take a quick dive into what SUI is and possible ways of preventing or treating it.
What Is Stress Urinary Incontinence?
Stress urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine during activities like sneezing, coughing, lifting, exercising, or laughing. Such activities that put some pressure on the bladder cause leakage. It can be mild or severe, and that will dictate the type of treatment your doctor recommends. Treatment can range from lifestyle changes to surgery.
SUI happens when the tissues and muscles supporting the urethra and bladder weakens. It’s best to seek treatment early and consult to find out what your options are. It’s possible to treat the problem and get back to feeling like yourself again.
Causes Of Stress Urinary Incontinence
Weakened pelvic floor muscles cause stress urinary incontinence. The pelvic floor muscle and the sphincter muscle support the urethra and bladder. If either of the muscles weakens, you are likely to experience stress urinary incontinence. You won’t be able to entirely prevent urine from leaking while doing light or heavy activities. Any sudden pressure on the bladder can trigger it. Anyone can have SUI, but it’s more prominent in older women. These are some of the things that increase the risk.
- Pregnancy and vaginal birth
- Injury to the urethra
- Surgery to the pelvic area
- Being overweight
Ways To Fix Stress Urinary Incontinence
There are various ways you can try to stop the regular leaks. It might take more than one approach to alleviate the problem completely. Ensure you talk to a healthcare professional before you try any treatment. They will diagnose and advise you accordingly. Here is how to fix urinary incontinence.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises
Kegel exercises help strengthen the sphincter and pelvic floor muscles to help you prevent leaks successfully. It can treat the condition or prevent it from worsening. However, you must use the correct technique and do it regularly to achieve the desired results. It’s even better when you initiate the exercises with a professional therapist.
Behavioural Changes
These are simple things you can do daily, like moderating drinks during the day. You can also urinate on schedule so that your bladder isn’t constantly full. Avoid running or jumping, especially when you are feeling pressed. You should also limit or avoid fluids like coffee or alcohol because they can irritate the bladder. Also, try maintaining a healthy body weight.
Surgery
The medical providers usually recommend surgery only if the cause of urinary incontinence is known. It’s mainly used as a last resort when everything else fails. Look for a healthcare provider you can trust to perform the reconstruction surgery with mesh-free solutions from the likes of ARMS Medical. There are medications they might recommend before getting to surgery.
Prevention Strategies For SUI
You can prevent involuntary urine leakage by maintaining good habits, such as changing your bathroom habits. Go to the bathroom when you need to, don’t hold it until you can’t any longer. Holding the urine regularly will wear out the muscles and can cause a bladder infection.
You should also maintain a healthy weight. Get on a healthy diet and stay active to avoid obesity. Involve a professional to help you determine the best diet. Do pelvic exercises as well because they help in maintaining muscle strength and can help prevent leaks in the future.
Conclusion
Stress urinary incontinence is not something you should ignore. It can get worse and interfere with activities you love, like running or exercising. When you notice involuntary leaks when you sneeze or laugh, consult your doctor. They will diagnose you properly and tell you which treatment plan is best for you. You should act early to avoid more issues in the future.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
