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better rou
w a y s to
take control
You don't have to live with a weak
bladder - there are many things
you can do to help yourself.
1
Drink more water. Taking in less fluid worsens the problem
as urine becomes more concentrated. Drink 6-8 glasses of
water during the day. Drink more if it’s hot and you are active.
2
Lose weight. Excess kilos can place undue pressure on
your organs, including the bladder.
3
Add more fibre-rich foods to your diet. Wholegrain breads
and cereals, nuts, legumes and fruits and vegies keep your
bowel healthy. This is important because constant straining
when using your bowels weakens muscles around the bladder.
4
Relearn good potty habits! As well as increasing your fibre
intake, you can avoid straining on the loo by leaning forward
with your elbows on your knees. If it helps, elevate your feet with a
footstool or a couple of phone books to help relax critical muscles.
5
Cut back on alcoholic, caffeinated or
fizzy drinks which irritate your bladder.
6
Exercise. Regular activity helps keep
everything moving healthily.
7
Retrain your bladder to go for longer
periods. A continence advisor can
help you. Don’t go ‘just in case' or put off
bathroom visits longer than you should.
Both are detrimental to bladder health.
8
Don’t smoke. A constant smoker's
cough can lead to stress incontinence.
9
Become fanatical about doing your
pelvic floor exercises! (see How to
Work Your Pelvic Floor, on previous page).
Ю
Be prepared. Taking precautions
can help minimise anxiety and
discomfort. Start by slipping a change
of underwear and several extra pads
or panty liners in your handbag. There's a
wide range of products available in
supermarkets and pharmacies designed
specifically for incontinence.
in doubt, speak to your doctor. A n d don’t be
embarrassed — yours w ill not be the first case
of this condition they’ve dealt with.
Types of incontinence
Finding the cause of your bladder weakness
is the first stage in correcting the problem.
If these sym ptom s sound familiar, make an
appointm ent to see your doctor.
■ Stress
This is w hen leakage occurs after
pressure is exerted on the bladder, such as
w hen you cough, laugh or lift som ething
heavy. It’s the m ost com m on cause of urinary
incontinence in w om en and can occur for
m any reasons, including horm onal changes
after menopause or pregnancy.
■ Urge
The sudden, intense urge to pee,
followed by leakage you can’t control, is
som etim es called an ‘overactive bladder’.
It may be due to health conditions such as
a urinary tract infection, multiple sclerosis
or an enlarged prostate.
Overflow
A feeling that yo u r bladder
never completely empties, accompanied by
frequent dribbling of urine, may be due to a
damaged bladder muscle or
nerve damage from diabetes.
■ Functional
T h is usually
affects people w ho are unable
to make it to the bathroom in
time. It can be caused by loss
of m em ory or poor mobility.
- r ' U o l c
( r L S ^ o - '!
For more information
T h e N ational C ontinence
Helpline is a free and
confidential se rvice offered
b y the C on tin en ce Foundation of
Australia. Call 1 8 0 0 3 3 0 0 6 6 o r
visit w w w .continence.org.au
172 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, MAY 2011
bhg.com.au
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m m
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Words Samantha Harrison; photography Corbis, iStockphoto
