Although surgery and medications are options available for treating urinary incontinence, depending on the severity of your problem, you also may choose to make certain lifestyle changes. In addition to medical treatment you receive for incontinence, your doctor may recommend self-help steps that can aid in overcoming poor bladder control.

Meet your daily vitamin D requirement.

Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence, in women. The risk increases more as you get older.

You can get more vitamin D in your diet by consuming beef liver, egg yolks, oily fish, and mushrooms, which are natural food sources that are high in vitamin D. Milk, orange juice, cereals, margarine, and yogurt are foods that often are fortified with vitamin D. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 IU for adults up to age 70.

Include more magnesium in your diet.

Magnesium is a mineral the body needs for proper nerve and muscle function. The mineral also may help relieve symptoms of urge incontinence, including frequent urination and leaking large amounts of urine, by reducing bladder muscle spasms. Foods rich in magnesium include bananas, potatoes, peas, dark chocolate, soybeans, kidney beans, and dark, leafy green vegetables such as collard greens, broccoli, kale, and baby spinach.

Lose those extra pounds.

Being overweight – particularly if you have extra fat around your middle – puts pressure on the bladder and surrounding pelvic floor muscles. The added pressure causes the muscles you need for bladder control to weaken, leading to stress incontinence. Anything that puts more pressure – also referred to as stress – on the bladder can cause urine to leak, particularly if the pelvic floor muscles are weak.

Put out the cigarettes.

Since nicotine can irritate the bladder, if you smoke, quit. The findings of a study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggest that women who are heavy smokers are more likely to suffer overactive bladder symptoms, such as frequency and urgency, than women who don't smoke. Overactive bladder symptoms often contribute to urinary incontinence, which follows a sudden and strong urge to urinate.

Smoking also can lead to coughing, and chronic coughing is a risk factor for developing stress incontinence. You can leak urine when you cough since coughing puts pressure on the bladder.

Nix the caffeine.

Caffeine is a diuretic that can irritate the lining of the bladder and stimulate muscle contractions – both conditions that can make urge incontinence worse. If you have bladder problems, cut back on the amount of coffee or tea you drink. Even the decaffeinated versions contain some amount of caffeine.

Alcohol is another diuretic that may necessitate the need to empty your bladder more often. Colas, which contain caffeine, also can trigger an over-active bladder.

Know the side effects of the medications you take.

Medications, such as painkillers, may contain caffeine. Others, including some heart medications and drugs to lower blood pressure, are diuretics that remove excess fluid from your body. While these medications can help treat a heart problem, your bladder needs to work harder due to the increase in fluids. If medication makes your incontinence worse, talk to your doctor about the possibility of reducing the dosage or changing to another drug.

Find out more info by speaking with a doctor.

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