Home Remedy For Urinary Urgency

Urinary urgency, also called urinary incontinence, is a problem that affects people of all ages, though it is most prevalent in people over the age of 60. Urinary urgency is simply the loss of bladder control and can range anywhere from a small amount of leakage when laughing or coughing to emptying the bladder and wetting clothes. In some cases urinary urgency can affect daily lives. Before visiting your doctor, there are several things that can be done at home to help control the embarrassing problem.

Weight Loss

• Extra weight around the middle can contribute to urinary urgency. This extra weight puts additional pressure on the bladder. Visiting your doctor to learn about healthy weight loss is a good place to start.

Physical Therapy

• Many times women who have just given birth will experience urinary urgency, as will men who have recently undergone prostate surgery. Kegel exercises are recommended to strengthen the muscles that prevent urinary leakage. To do them, just imagine stopping the flow of urine. Squeeze these muscles together tightly and hold for three seconds, then release and repeat. These exercises are easy to do anywhere because they can be done without anyone knowing.

  Pelvic muscles that are weak due to lack of exercise cannot support the bladder; therefore a brisk walk 30 minutes per night to strengthen the pelvic muscles is beneficial.

Behavioral Therapy

• There are several behavioral therapy techniques that can help control urinary urgency. Bladder training is an effective technique that involves learning to control urination after getting the urge to go. Most people begin by waiting about 10 minutes after they get the initial urge to urinate. The goal is to lengthen the time between toilet trips until you are urinating every two to three hours.

  Scheduled toilet trips are another way to train the body to control urinary urgency. This involves going to the bathroom according to the clock, and not based on the need to go. Going every two to four hours is the recommended length of time between toilet trips.

Herbs

• There are several herbs that may help strengthen the bladder, including Devil's Claw, parsley, St. John's Wort and skullcap. Each of these herbs have properties that help ease nervous tension, which can sometimes be a contributing factor in urinary urgency. Dandelion is also a useful herb that helps strengthen the kidneys. It is important to take herbal supplements under the care of a doctor because these supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.