10 ways for Canadians to stop weak bladders!
- Reduce caffeine - Caffeine increases your bodies production of urine.
- Drink an appropriate amount of liquids each day - too much OR too little can cause bladder weakness.
- Losing weight if you are overweight or obese can reduce the stress on your bladder. This will lead to stronger bladders and less leaks!
- Kegel Exercises - Manual - Here is an article on Kegel exercises to express the proper way to perform kegel exercise..
- Automatic Pelvic floor Trainer - This is my product, called YoniFlex - Now available in Canada. Its designed to automate the kegel exercise program, performing kegel exercises while you sit and relax.
Bladder weakness is a significant problem for many people. Both men and women experience bladder weakness in many forms.
Let's dive into the description of what exactly bladder weakness is. After that, we will review several ways to stop bladder weakness.
The professional 'official' term for bladder weakness is 'urinary incontinence. This term broadly defines any challenges with your bladder. Let's review a few:
Stress incontinence - leaking during stressful act
Overactive bladder - Sudden urges to urinate and/or getting up multiple times in the night to urinate
Overflow incontinence - This is crudely defined as a 'dripping faucet' - where a small amount of urine leaks out without your control.
Regardless of the type of bladder weakness you have, all urinary incontinence can be improved through various ways:
How can I stop my bladder weakness?
No one wants bladder weakness. In fact, in a resent study of seniors found that experiencing bladder weakness by way of urinary incontinence increased the length of hospital stays and increased mortality rates (CITATION)
Regardless of your age or gender, stopping bladder weakness and leaks is paramount to a happy healthy lifestyle. Bladder weakness can cripple your well-being, causing depression and anxiety about getting out and enjoying the world. Further, bladder weakness and bladder leaks can cause an emotional burden for those that suffer from it.
There are many ways to prevent or stop bladder weakness. I will break them down into three categories
Category 1 for bladder weakness: Non-surgical Treatment
This is the best case scenario, and as long as your bladder weakness isn't extreme, these non surgical methods should help you better control your bladder reducing leaks.
- Lifestyle Changes -
- Pelvic Floor Muscle strengthening -
Category 2 for bladder weakness: Medication
- Medicine / Prescriptions -
NOTE: There are possible side effects with taking any medicine, Always discuss any medicines or prescriptions with your doctor.
Duloxetine - This doctor prescribed medicine can help increase the muscle tone of your urethra.
Oxybutynin / Tolterodine / Darifenacin - These are medicines sometimes used to treat urge incontinence.
Mirabegron - This medicine is used to help your bladder relax so that it can fill up completely.
Category 3 for bladder weakness: Surgery:
NOTE: Surgery should be a last resort when all available options are ineffective. It is very important to discuss with a doctor or health care professional, and weigh the risks and potential benefits.
Colposuspension
Urinary diversion
Botulinum toxin A injections
Sacral nerve stimulation
Posterior tibial nerve stimulation
Vaginal mesh surgery (tape surgery)
Urethral bulking agents
Sling surgery
More to come on surgery options for bladder weakness.
Stay awesome,
Tricia