Home Remedies For Urinary Incontinence

Weight Loss & Health Improvements To Reduce Your Symptoms

Studies suggest that losing excess weight can reduce the symptoms of stress incontinence and an overactive bladder.

What does this mean exactly? If you can lose about 8 percent of your body weight thats typically around 15 to 20 pounds you will likely see remarkable results. In fact, even just a few pounds of weight loss can reduce incontinence episodes by over 25%.

Aside from all the other health benefits, by losing weight the abdomen will alleviate pressure on all the organs in the area, including the bladder.

As well as weight loss, getting regular exercise can reduce overactive bowel symptoms. Exercise can help to reduce the strain on your bladder which ultimately means less urine leaks.

Stopping smoking can also help with OAB problems since the smoke from cigarettes can irritate your bladder. Smoking can also lead to hacking cough a loud, dry cough which can cause further leaks.

Home Remedies For Urinary Incontinence In Dogs

Next to teaching your dog to do Kegel exercises, what do you do about urinary incontinence in dogsand leakage?

If your dogs leaving little puddles of urine around the house, it its probably not just bad behavior.

Whether its due to old age, injury or illness, incontinence is no fun for anyone. When your dog cant hold her urine, accidents happen.

So lets talk about the possible causes of your dogs incontinence, and what you can do to help her .

What Is Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a condition that happens when a person is unable to control urine from escaping from the urethra, the tube that allows urine to leave the body from the bladder. This may happen on occasion, or you may not be able to hold in your urine at all.

Overall, there are several types of urinary incontinence that are important to bear in mind. Lets take a look at them.

Stress urinary incontinence

Have you ever coughed, sneezed, laughed, or exercised, and a few drops of urine escaped? If the answer is yes, it could be stress urinary incontinence. This occurs when the pelvic muscles have weakened.

This type of incontinence is more common in women who have pelvic prolapse or have had more than one vaginal birth.

Urge urinary incontinence

With this type of incontinence, a person has a sudden, urgent need to urinate but not enough time to get to the toilet because their bladder contracts at inappropriate times and urine leaks out.

This can happen because of problems with the nerves of the urinary system, the pelvic muscles, and the persons inability to respond to their need to urinate.

Overflow incontinence

Some people feel that they cant empty their bladder completely when they urinate. This causes constant dribbling after urination.

Theres usually a feeling of still having a very full bladder, although the volume of urine that comes out is small.

Mixed urinary incontinence

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Medicines For Urinary Incontinence In Men

If other options don’t pan out, you may decide to try medicine. There are several medications available to discuss with your doctor. Some pills can relax your bladder. Your doctor may relax your bladder by injecting it with Botox. Other medicines can strengthen the muscles of your urethra that control when you go. Some drugs help your kidneys produce less urine at night.

Go Easy On The Drinks

It depends from guy to guy, but some find drinks can trigger incontinence. You may be sensitive to carbonated beverages like soda, caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea, and alcohol. Studies suggest not everyone is bothered by these, though. If you have UI symptoms, try to remember if you’ve had any of these beverages recently.

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Dog Urinary Incontinence: Natural Remedies Can Work

Its important to remember that if you are dealing with dog urinary incontinence, natural remedies may take longer, but they are so much less risky for your dog that for me, it was worth the trade-off.

The best dog incontinence solution are going to be different for each dog. You may have to try a number of remedies before finding one that helps.

I was SO grateful to be able to stop incontinence without pharmaceuticaldrugs google proin side effects and you will see why.

I have friends who have tried Proin, experienced success forawhile, then it stopped working. They had to keep increasing the dose not an uncommonscenario.

Have you found a dog incontinence remedy that worked foryour dog? Tell us your story in the comments below: you never know when yoursolution will change another dogs life.

Naturally,

Karen

Want to save this article for future reference? Save this pin to your Natural Dog Health board!

Natural Remedies For An Overactive Bladder

1. Kegel Exercises

If a weak pelvic floor is at the root of your OAB then kegel exercises can help a lot. These pelvic floor exercises can be done anywhere at anytime and they benefit both men and women. When done regularly, they can really help an overactive bladder.

Melody Denson, MD, a board-certified urologist with the Urology Team in Austin, TX, recommends these exercises for OAB. She says, They will trigger a reflex mechanism to relax the bladder. If you feel a tremendous urge to urinate, doing a kegel before you run to the bathroom will help settle down the bladder spasm and help you hold it until you get there.

2. Avoid Dietary Triggers

Significantly reduce the following foods and drinks that are known to contribute to overactive bladder:

• Alcohol
• Soda and other carbonated beverages
• Spicy foods
• Artificial sweeteners
• Milk and milk products
• Sugar and high sugar foods

Caffeine, alcohol and certain medications like diuretics are known to be major causes of acute incontinence, especially in the elderly population. Cranberry juice is surprisingly another thing to avoid if you have OAB. Although cranberry juice is often recommend for bladder health, it actually acts as an irritant if you have OAB.

3. Watch Fluid Intake

4. Double-Void

5. Schedule bathroom trips

6. Delay Urination

7. Try Acupuncture

8. Stop Smoking

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Surgery To Correct Anatomical Abnormalities

If your dogs incontinence is caused by an anatomical abnormality, your vet may recommend surgery.

The most likely kind of abnormality is ectopic ureter. Its fairly rare, with reported incidence of less than 0.1%.

The ureters transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Ectopic ureter means that one or both ureters by-pass the bladder and connect to the urethra, uterus or vagina. This can cause continual dripping of urine.

This problem is usually seen in 3 to 6 month old dogs, and females are 8 times more prone than males.

High risk breeds for this problem are

• Siberian Husky
• West Highland White Terrier

This condition may be corrected with surgery to redirect the ureter into the bladder.

A less invasive method is cystoscopic-guided laser ablation. Its done under anesthesia and involves inserting a ureteral catheter into the ectopic ureter. A laser then ablates the wall of the ureter. This effectively moves the opening from the urethra to the bladder. One study showed a 47% success rate for this procedure.

PRO TIP

However you decide to treat your dogs incontinence adjust and increase your dogs potty break time. This will help reduce the amount of urine in the bladder at any one time. Make sure she goes out to pee before you leave for work or school, and right before bedtime.

Symptoms Causes & Risk Factors

When you feel like you have lost control of your bladder to the point that is so frequent that it adversely affects your quality of life, its probably time to see a doctor.

Age and gender have a big role to play in determining urinary incontinence risk.

Other risk factors for urinary incontinence include:

• Smoking

There are a number of different types of urinary incontinence, each brought about by different causes. Three of the most common types include:

• Stress Incontinence Despite what it sounds like, stress incontinence does not actually have to do emotional stress. Rather, it means that the muscles of your pelvis may be weakened or damaged and may leak urine as a result of the strain from coughing or physical activity.
• Urge Incontinence Sometimes referred to as an overactive bladder, this type of urinary incontinence arises when you consistently feel the need to use the washroom even your bladder is essentially empty. It can occur in both men and women, especially postmenopausal women and men who have prostate issues.
• Overflow Incontinence This type of urinary incontinence is more common in men with prostate issues and occurs because of a blockage in the bladder which means it does not empty properly and eventually leads to urine leaking out because it remains too full.

So what can be done about it?

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What Are The Symptoms Of Incontinence

The main symptom of incontinence is a leakage of urine. This could be a constant dripping of urine or an occasional experience of leakage. If you have incontinence, you might have large amounts or small amounts of leaked urine. You might experience leakage for a wide variety of reasons often depending on the type of incontinence you have.

You might leak urine when you:

• Exercise.
• Have an urge to urinate, but cant make it to the toilet on time.
• Have to get up in the middle of night to urinate .

How Do I Do Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises are a simple way to build strength in your pelvic floor muscles. These exercises are done by lifting, holding and then relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. You can find these muscles by stopping the flow of urine mid-stream while youre urinating. Only do this until you learn how to find the muscles stopping the flow of urine mid-stream isnt healthy over a long period of time.

When youre doing Kegel exercises, start small. Only hold it for a few second. Over time you can slowly work your way up to longer and longer stretches of holding the muscles tight.

Unlike other types of workouts, no one can tell when youre doing Kegel exercises. Aim to do several sets of Kegel exercises twice a day.

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Urinate At The Right Time

Delaying urination or over-urinating might land you into trouble.

Go right away whenever you feel the need to pee and empty your bladder completely.

You can also try a technique called double voiding. When you urinate, go to the toilet once and then try to go again a few moments later. This will allow full bladder emptying.

Precautions And Proper Diagnosis

The main symptoms of OAB can also occur in other health conditions like bladder cancer, urinary tract infection and enlarged prostate. Seeing blood in your urine is not a symptom of OAB.

A sudden and frequent need to urinate is common in both OAB and a UTI. How can you tell the difference between these two urinary health issues? Unlike OAB, a UTI also comes with other symptoms such as discomfort while urinating. In addition, OAB symptoms are continuous while UTI symptoms are sudden and may also include a fever.

Overflow incontinence is characterized by the involuntary release of urine from an overfull urinary bladder, often in the absence of any urge to urinate. This condition is not associated with OAB. It typically occurs in people who have a blockage of the bladder outlet, which can occur with benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer or a narrowing of the urethra. Overflow incontinence can also occur when the muscle responsible for removing urine from the bladder is too weak to empty the bladder in a normal way.

It is very important to see a doctor to ensure a proper diagnosis if you experience any changes in your urine and/or urination habits.

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Take An Otc Pain Reliever

Over-the-counter pain medications can temporarily relieve pain caused by a UTI. Use caution here, and always speak with a doctor first, as some UTIs can turn into kidney infections. In these cases, patients should avoid taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , which could make the infection worse.

Add Vitamin C To Your Diet

Not only does vitamin C help strengthen your immune system, but it may also acidify your urine, which limits the growth of some bacteria and may prevent urinary tract infections from occurring. Just be careful of eating too many acidic foods when you have a UTI, as they can potentially irritate your bladder, which may only make your UTI symptoms worse.

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Control Your Urge To Urinate

You may be able to control, or suppress, the strong urge to urinate, which is called urge or urgency suppression. With this type of bladder training, you can worry less about finding a bathroom in a hurry. Some people distract themselves to take their minds off needing to urinate. Other people find that long, relaxing breaths or holding still can help. Doing pelvic floor exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor also can help control the urge to urinate. Quick, strong squeezes of the pelvic floor muscles can help suppress urgency when it occurs, which may help you get to the toilet before you leak.

Urinary Incontinence: Natural Treatment Options For Dogs

When a companion begins to drip or leak urine, it can cause great concern for the animal’s guardian. Incontinence causes the animal great distress as well they do not wish to urinate in the house or on their bed, yet cannot control their own bodily functions properly. Urinary incontinence is the involuntary passing or leakage of urine and occurs in 20% of dogs at some point in their lifetime. Cats are less often affected. Treatment for incontinence is typically fairly simple and effective, so don’t panic if your companion begins to drip. .

Most cases of incontinence are due to:

• Weak bladder sphincter
• Infection in the urinary tract
• Bladder stones
• Spinal cord damage or disease

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What Is An Overactive Bladder Symptoms To Look For

Overactive bladder is a syndrome, or a set of symptoms, that is believed to be due to sudden contractions of the muscles in the wall of the bladder. When you have overactive bladder syndrome, the muscles controlling bladder function start acting involuntarily. This often leads to urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control. The urine leakage experienced by someone with OAB can be as little as several drops to up to several ounces. Sometimes, incontinence can be a sign of something simple like drinking way too many caffeinated beverages on a daily basis. Other times the underlying cause can be something more serious.

An overactive bladder is said to account for 40 to 70 percent of incontinence. What is incontinence? Incontinence is a lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation. When you have overactive bladder, you can experience urinary incontinence or loss of control over urination.

There are actually two different types of overactive bladder. Dry is when you have a sudden, urgent need to urinate many times during the day. Wet means you have the sudden, urgent need to urinate and you experience bladder leakage, which is also referred to as urge incontinence. Both dry and wet can occur without any underlying health condition. An estimated 60 percent of OAB patients have dry OAB while 40 percent have wet OAB .

OAB symptoms can differ on an individual case basis. Common symptoms of an overactive bladder include:

What Causes Incontinence

There are many different reasons that you could experience incontinence. These causes can vary depending on if youre a woman or man. Some causes are temporary health conditions that usually go away once treated. In those cases, your incontinence also usually stops once the condition is treated. Incontinence can be caused by long-term medical conditions. When you experience leakage issues because of a chronic condition, its usually something you will have to manage over a longer period of time. Even with treatment, chronic conditions usually dont go away. Incontinence may have to be managed over time as a symptom of your chronic condition.

Temporary or short-term causes of incontinence can include:

• Urinary tract infections : An infection inside your urinary tract can cause pain and increase your need to pee more often. Once treated, the urge to urinate frequently usually goes away.
• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, your uterus places extra pressure on the bladder as it expands. Most women who experience incontinence during pregnancy notice that it goes away in the weeks after delivery.
• Medications: Incontinence can be a side effect of certain medications, including diuretics and antidepressants.
• Beverages: There are certain drinks like coffee and alcohol that can make you need to urinate much more often. If you stop drinking these beverages, your need to urinate frequently typically goes down.
• Constipation: Chronic constipation can cause you to have bladder control issues.

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Wipe From Front To Back

This one is more about prevention. Because many UTIs develop from the spread of bacteria from the rectum, its important to pay attention to how you wipe both after a bowel movement and after urinating. Always wipe from front to back to avoid spreading bacteria to the urethra, and on to the urinary tract.

Will I Have Incontinence For My Entire Life

Sometimes incontinence is a short-term issue that will go away once the cause ends. This is often the case when you have a condition like a urinary tract infection . Once treated, frequent urination and leakage problems caused by a UTI typically end. This is also true for some women who experience bladder control issues during pregnancy. For many, the issues end in the weeks after delivery. However, other causes of incontinence are long-term and related to conditions that are managed throughout your life. If you have a chronic condition like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, you may have incontinence for a long period of time. In those cases, its important to talk to your provider about the best ways to manage your incontinence so that it doesnt interfere with your life.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

It can be embarrassing to talk about bathroom habits with your healthcare provider. This embarrassment shouldnt stop you from treating incontinence, though. Often, your healthcare provider can help figure out the cause of your bladder control issue and help make it better. You dont need to deal with it alone. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to treat incontinence so that you can lead a full and active life without worrying about leakage.

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