How to Maintain Bladder Control

If you suffer from incontinence, or uncontrollable bladder leakage, you are not alone. According to UrologyHealth.org, millions of people experience some form of bladder-control problems (BCP). These problems shouldn't be accepted as a part of growing older. In fact, there are ways to maintain bladder control and stop accidents from happening. You can employ exercises and behavior therapies that are safe, effective and easy to use, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Instructions

Maintain Bladder Control

• 1

  Find your pelvic muscles so you can strengthen your bladder. You can imagine that you need to hold back passing gas. Squeeze and lift your rectal area, which includes the vaginal area for women. Your abdomen and your buttocks should not be tight. Or as you urinate, partially empty your bladder. Then stop or slow the flow of urine. You should feel your pelvic muscles. You may have to try this more than once. However, you don't want to try this more than twice a month, for it's not a helpful exercise to perform.

• 2

  Try pelvic floor or Kegel exercises to improve your bladder control. These exercises will improve your pelvic muscle and---when done regularly---will strengthen and maintain bladder control. With the first exercise, slowly lift and tighten your pelvic- floor muscles. Hold the muscles and count to five. In the beginning, you'll probably have a hard time with your muscles not wanting to tighten for longer than two seconds. However, that should change after approximately two weeks. Slowly over a period of weeks, you should be able to hold for 10 seconds. You should rest for 10 seconds between contractions, then try again. In the second exercise, you want to quickly tighten your pelvic muscles, lift up, then release. This exercise will help your muscles shut off the flow of urine like a faucet and prevent accidents.

• 3

  Train your overactive bladder to increase the time between bathroom breaks and avoid accidents. Keep a bladder journal to write down every time you urinate. Your doctor will use this information to help you establish your bladder training. Pinpoint the amount between bathroom breaks and extend the interval by 15 minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. In the morning, urinate immediately after you wake up. Then extend the intervals by 15 minutes each week until you have reached your goal. For instance, your goal can be two-to-four hours between bathroom breaks. It may take at least three times before you succeed.