Incontinence Tips
Diet
Although there is no specific regimen to reduce incontinence, you may be able to manage your symptoms by altering your diet.
Certain foods and drinks can aggravate your system, including diuretics, alcohol, and anything acidic.
- Diuretics, such as coffee, tea, and soda, promote the excretion of urine. The caffeine decreases blood volume by enhancing kidney excretion of salt and water. It lowers the resistance of blood vessels, lowering the blood pressure in the body.
- Alcohol acts as a bladder stimulant, triggering urgency. It also inhibits an anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), which conserves water in the body but can cause dehydration.
- High-acid foods, such as anything hot and spicy, tomato-based dishes, and citrus fruit drinks, are common bladder irritants. Although the medical world isn’t entirely sure why, there seems to be a prevalent correlation between highly acidic foods and bladder control.
Other common bladder irritants to avoid:
- Carbonated beverages (with or without caffeine)
- Milk or milk products
- Coffee or tea (even decaffeinated)
- Medicines that contain caffeine
- Citrus juice & fruits
- Tomatoes or tomato-based products
- Spicy foods
- Sugar
- Honey
- Chocolate
- Corn syrup
- Artificial sweeteners
It may seem counter-intuitive, but limiting water and fluid intake may actually increase incontinence. It can even create more problems by producing highly concentrated urine, irritating the surface of the bladder. The recommended amount of water is 6 to 8 (8 oz.) glasses per day, but for people suffering from bladder issues, at least one liter but no more than 2 liters per day is ideal.
Keeping a bladder diary can help you monitor your body’s food-bladder relationships. You may find patterns between your diet and your food and fluid intake. Certain supplements contain ingredients that irritate the bladder, so be sure to read all labels, even those marked “natural” or “energy”.
Exercise
Developing a well-rounded exercise program will benefit your overall health, as opposed to solely focusing on the digestive muscles and organs. Increasing endurance will help your cardiovascular system. Balance and flexibility can promote mobility. Pelvic floor muscle exercises reduce or eliminate incontinence episodes.
Muscle mass dramatically decreases with age, peaking in our twenties and thirties. By age 80, we have lost up to half of our muscle mass from our arms and legs. However, research shows that people of any age can gain strength with just 8 weeks of resistance training. Using your own body weight is the easiest way to get back in shape – and it’s free!
Increasing balance, endurance, and flexibility can go a long way with improving incontinence. Maintaining a healthy weight and not (or quitting) smoking has proven to be effective, too.
CONTACT CHOICE
CHOICE has offices in Seattle, Portland, and Spokane. Contact us seven (7) days a week by phone or email between 8:30am and 8:30pm.
PHONE NUMBER:
(800) 361-0138
RELATED ARTICLES
Using a Referral Service is a Good Idea
The management of the assisted living community is expected to be diligent in training and supervision of staff. Senior living and care communities operated by involved and visible management are more likely to provide the highest level of services.
Assisted Living Satisfaction Rates
The management of the assisted living community is expected to be diligent in training and supervision of staff. Senior living and care communities operated by involved and visible management are more likely to provide the highest level of services.
Are Assisted Living & Nursing Homes the Same?
The management of the assisted living community is expected to be diligent in training and supervision of staff. Senior living and care communities operated by involved and visible management are more likely to provide the highest level of services.