Busting an Incontinence Myth, and Ways to Prevent Leakage
If you’re incontinent and periodically leak urine, you should drink less water. Right?
Wrong.
Not drinking enough water (the recommended amount is 64 ounces a day) can lead to dehydration. This can irritate your bladder and actually cause more frequent leakage. It can also lead to kidney stones and urinary tract infections. You’ll know you’re dehydrated if your urine is a dark yellow. Dark yellow urine smells much worse than urine that is clear or pale yellow, which is what you should aim for.
At Michigan Institute of Urology, we recommend drinking eight eight-ounce glasses of water daily. Other healthy beverages are acceptable substitutes, like unsweetened tea, fruit and vegetable juices, milk, smoothies, kombucha, and kefir. We recommend that at least half of your daily fluids consist of water. Caffeine and alcohol don’t count. They are stimulants that irritate the bladder and can make incontinence worse.
Ideally, you should spread your fluid intake throughout the day. Additionally, refrain from drinking anything for at least an hour before bedtime to help prevent disruptions to your sleep.
Possible Causes of Incontinence
Why the urine leakage, you wonder? Your sphincter muscle holds your bladder closed. If that muscle weakens, or your bladder muscles have involuntary contractions, incontinence may result.
In women, incontinence may be due to pregnancy, vaginal birth, or menopause. In men, an enlarged prostate can block the normal flow of urine and cause leakage.
Other possible causes of incontinence in men and women are:
- Urinary tract infection
- Diabetes (high blood sugar can increase the amount of urine you produce and damage the nerves)
- Lifestyle habits that can overstimulate the bladder: smoking, excessive coughing, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks
- Some medications can trigger incontinence, as can neurologic diseases, including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or a spinal cord injury
- As we age, our muscle tone declines. Weaker bladder muscles can cause leakage.
About 10% of Americans experience incontinence – or involuntary urination – in some form, especially as they age
Is Incontinence Treatable?
Yes, it’s treatable. We like to recommend you begin by making these lifestyle changes:
- Drink most of your fluids in the morning and afternoon and avoid alcohol and anything with caffeine.
- Chocolate can also irritate the bladder. Try avoiding it for a couple of weeks and see if you notice a difference.
- Break the habit of urinating every time you leave the house, or whenever you feel the slightest urge. Doing so eventually tells your bladder it’s full when it’s not.
- Try waiting 2-4 hours between each trip to the toilet. Then slowly extend the time between trips. Distract yourself if you have an urge to go, but it’s not yet time.
Do your Kegels
Kegels are a “squeeze and release” exercise frequently recommended for both women and men to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Strong pelvic floor muscles can help to prevent:
- urinary leakage in women when doing anything that puts pressure on the belly, like coughing, sneezing, or laughing
- urinary leakage in men that may occur after surgery for prostate cancer
For instructions on performing Kegels, bridges, squats, and other exercises to prevent incontinence, read our blog, Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor.
EMSELLA® Chair
Another option for improving incontinence is a new, FDA-approved noninvasive treatment called the EMSELLA Chair. As you sit on the chair fully clothed, electromagnetic energy strengthens your weakened muscles. It’s like performing thousands of Kegel-like pelvic floor contractions in a single 30-minute session. Learn more about the EMSELLA Chair for men and women, available at MIU’s REDEEM Sexual Wellness & Aesthetics Center in Birmingham.
Other Treatment Options for Incontinence
If lifestyle changes don’t effectively eliminate your incontinence, the following options are available at the Michigan Institute of Urology.
- Medications: Some prescription medications can help suppress involuntary contractions of the muscle surrounding the bladder.
- Artificial urinary sphincter: This device is inserted to encircle and close the urethra, acting as a replacement muscle.
- Bulkamid: This bulking agent adds volume and helps prevent urine leakage during normal daily activities. It consists of 3-4 injections into the wall of your urethra.
- Botox injection: Your physician injects Botox into your bladder muscle, partially paralyzing it to reduce overactivity, but leaving enough control to empty the bladder voluntarily.
- Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS): This non-surgical procedure involves inserting a needle near your ankle where your tibial nerve is located. Doing so blocks abnormal signals from the bladder and prevents bladder spasms.
- Sacral nerve stimulation: About the size of a silver dollar, this device is implanted through a tiny incision near your tailbone to calm the nerves that control bladder function.
- Urethral or mid-urethral slings or tension-free vaginal tape: Mesh tape acts like a hammock to keep a sagging urethra in its normal position. This causes the urethra to remain closed during a cough or vigorous or sudden movement. At times, non-mesh or autologous fascia options can be used.
Additional option for men:
- Surgery for Enlarged Prostate:As you age, it’s common for men to develop an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia). Several procedures are available to remove excess tissue. Doing so may alleviate pressure on the urethra, allowing the bladder to empty. Learn more about methods to treat enlarged prostates.
Learn how the physicians at Michigan Institute of Urology diagnose and treat incontinence. If you would like a consultation, please request an appointment at one of our conveniently located offices in Southeast Michigan.
