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How to Live With Urinary Incontinence

You can live a normal life with a diagnosis of urinary incontinence. A few small changes in your life, such as increased cleanliness and lifestyle adjustments, can help greatly. Changes like eating more healthy foods can help you live longer, too. Read on to learn how to live with urinary incontinence.

Things You'll Need

  • Low-calorie cranberry juice
  • Deodorizer
  • Water
  • Lanolin, petroleum jelly or cocoa butter
  • Antibiotics
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Instructions

  1. Eliminate Urinary Infections

    • 1

      Ask your doctor to check for infections. Urinary incontinence caused by infection is easy to treat and cure.

    • 2

      Complete any antibiotic treatment your doctor prescribes for you. Even if your symptoms disappear before you finish your antibiotics, you should continue taking them for the greatest chances of complete recovery.

    • 3

      Continue monitoring your symptoms even after you finish antibiotic treatment.

    Switch Medications

    • 4

      Follow your doctor's advice about changing medications. Some medications can cause or aggravate urine leakage.

    • 5

      Ask your doctor to recommend two different replacement medications. This way you can see which helps you most.

    • 6

      Make a note if you notice any changes in the different medications.

    Change Your Lifestyle

    • 7

      Avoid high impact activities like basketball and aerobics. These activities put pressure on your pelvis and can aggravate urinary incontinence.

    • 8

      Space out your fluid intake throughout the day. Drinking too much at any one time puts extra stress on your bladder and can lead to leakages.

    • 9

      Shed a few pounds. Extra weight puts pressure on your pelvic muscles, and can aggravate urinary incontinence in women. Losing even a few pounds can help relieve the pressure.

    Change Your Hygiene Routine

    • 10

      Clean yourself immediately following any urinary leakage. Urine can cause rashes, itching and discomfort when left in contact with your skin.

    • 11

      Choose warm, rather than hot, water when bathing. Hot water can dry your skin and make it more susceptible to irritation.

    • 12

      Wash your self gently. Scrubbing too hard can also make skin more likely to be irritated when in contact with urine after a leak.

    • 13

      Moisturize after you bathe or shower. Experts recommend lanolin, petroleum jelly or cocoa butter to help create a barrier between your skin and urinary incontinence pads.

    • 14

      Try a deodorizer to reduce urine odor from leakage. Your pharmacist can recommend several orally taken deodorizers.

    Alter Your Dietary Habits

    • 15

      Drink more water throughout the day. Doctors warn that cutting back on water intake can actually make urine leakage more common.

    • 16

      Include some low-calorie cranberry juice in your diet. Cranberry juice reduces the risk of urinary tract infections, which can irritate the bladder and cause leakage.

    • 17

      Increase your fiber intake. Lack of fiber in your diet can cause constipation. Constipation has been shown to make your incontinence worse.

    • 18

      Cut down on foods and drinks that can irritate your urinary tract. Avoid things like citrus fruits, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate.

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