What is Urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is generally caused by the loss of control over bladder functionality. This loss of control causes you to leak urine, sometimes without even realizing. Depending on what causes you to leak urine, you could be suffering from one of the many types of incontinence there are.
In this blog, we are telling you how stress incontinence differs from urge incontinence, and what measures you can take on your own to control them both.
What is the difference between stress incontinence and urge incontinence?
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence, also known as an overactive bladder, is a urinary condition caused by a bladder which malfunctions. This condition can make you want to rush to the toilet an absurdly high number of times. You might leak just a few drops of urine or you might end up releasing everything in your bladder. Seeking treatment for urge incontinence immediately is the best thing to do before you end up landing yourself in difficult situations.
Symptoms of urge incontinence include:
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Rushing to the bathroom more times than what is considered normal (more than eight times in a day).
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Having to make several trips to the bathroom throughout the night.
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Failing to hold in pee for short amounts of time.
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Wetting your bed at night.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence can cause you to leak a few drops of urine while performing physical movements or activities such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, lifting heavy objects, etc. Any physical activity that puts pressure on your bladder can make you leak urine.
Symptoms of stress incontinence are easy to recognize. You might leak urine while:
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Bending over to pick something up
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Laughing
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Coughing or sneezing
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Exercising
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Picking something heavy off the ground or from a surface,
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Having sex
It is not necessary that you leak urine while performing all of these activities. You might only lose a few drops when your bladder is full or while doing a few of the activities mentioned above.
Treatment for Urinary Incontinence
How to control stress and urge incontinence?
If you’re suffering from any type of incontinence, the first thing that you should do is book an appointment with a doctor. Even consulting a general physician is a good start. They can recommend lifestyle changes for the time being and guide you to doctors who are experts in this field.
When incontinence is at its nascent stage you can make lifestyle choices along with medical support to see a difference:
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Bladder training – Hold off going to the bathroom whenever you feel the urge. This way you can keep increasing the time and train your bladder to hold in pee for longer durations of time. Do this in a place which can be easily cleaned in case of accidents.
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Kegel exercises – Performing simple Kegels exercises can help in strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. The bladder, urethra, rectum, and other organs down south are supported by your pelvic floor muscles. Strengthening them can help you deal with incontinence better.
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Eat fibrous foods – You might be suffering from incontinence because of constipation. Pushing out stools that are too hard can impact surrounding muscles and organs as well. Eat foods with a lot of fiber content. Consult a doctor to have more specific food recommendations as per your health conditions.
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Journaling – Start tracking your food habits in a diary. This will also come in handy when you visit a doctor and they ask for your medical history. Write down in this diary what you’re having for meals and snacks, how many times you have to rush to the bathroom, any instances of urine leakage that might have occurred, etc.
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Food – Avoid alcohol, caffeinated, carbonated and spicy foods and drinks. These foods are irritating for your bladder and can make you want to rush to the toilet too frequently. In addition to this, avoid foods that have a bad track history with your bladder.
Dealing with any kind of incontinence is certainly very hard on the person physically, mentally and emotionally. Try to surround yourself with people you love, talk to the people in your community who are facing similar issues, go out and socialize with people.
To make sure life doesn’t take a halt for you, wear adult diapers. They are easy to use, convenient, and super sleek so nobody knows what is up with your bladder. Choose a diaper that fits you perfectly, is comfortable and prevents leaks.
Friends is India’s No. 1 Adult Diaper Brand, and for good reason too. We give you:
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Maximum absorbency with SAP which turns the liquid into gel form at lightning- fast speed
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Leak protection with standing leak guards, so you can go about your day stress- free
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Mask odor and wetness indicator for ease of use
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Up to 16 hours’ protection (depending on the variant)
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No pooling or spillage because of deep channels
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Diapers that are 100% Sulphur, paraben, bleach and chemical fragrance- free
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A range of incontinence products to cover all your needs, from pant style and tape style diapers, economy and premium adult diapers, overnight adult diapers to additional incontinence products like bed bath towels, adult insert pads and classic and premium underpads. When we say we have got you covered, we really mean it.
With Friends Adult Diapers, Azadi Mubarak!
