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Tag: Bladder control

  • Bladder control tips for men

    Bladder control tips for men

    It’s a fact that as men age, the prostate enlarges, and that causes frequent, sometimes painful urination. But you don’t have to reach for a pill or submit to surgery. Small behavior changes can help you cope with — and maybe minimize — the amount of peeing.

    I scoured the web to find easy tips for men who find themselves in the bathroom too often. I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of any of these tips as I don’t have a prostate (being female and all that). But they seem logical, noninvasive and a good place to start.

    Warning: Check with your doctor to make sure that your frequent urination is caused by an enlarged prostate, also known as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). Sometimes this can be a symptom of a more serious condition.

    Near Universal Recommendations
    The Mayo Clinic offers this list, which is common to many great resources:

    • Limit beverages (especially caffeine and alcohol) for at least an hour before bed.
    • Don’t wait — go when you need to. The discomfort will only get worse.
    • Exercise and lose weight if you need to. Obesity is tied to BPH. Exercise keeps all of your muscles fit and your organs working better.
    • Urinate, and then urinate again a few moments later. The Mayo Clinic recommends this practice, which is known as double voiding.

    Avoid Certain OTC Meds
    Avoid over-the-counter cold or allergy drugs and sleep aids that contain antihistamines or decongestants as these may worsen symptoms, according to Berkeley Wellness. Review your medications with your doctor or pharmacist.

    Schedule Bathroom Visits
    Urinating at regular times — such as every 4 to 6 hours during the day — may help to “retrain” the bladder. This can be especially useful if you have severe frequency and urgency.

    If you cannot empty your bladder, try sitting when you urinate rather than standing. Running the water in the sink may help.

    Keep Warm
    Colder temperatures can cause urine retention and increase the urgency to urinate.

    Strengthen Pelvic Muscles
    Kegel exercises can help you strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor that support your bladder and urethra, thereby helping to prevent or reduce the symptoms of incontinence. The Mayo Clinic has a how-to guide to Kegel exercises for men.

    This post was excerpted and republished from Medshadow.org

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  • Bladder control problems and how to treat them

    Bladder control problems and how to treat them

    Many older adults have problems with bladder control or urinary incontinence (UI). According to the American College of Physicians, UI affects about half of all women 40 to 60 years old and about three-quarters of all women 75 and older. Problems with bladder control can keep people from going out. The question is how to treat them?

    According to the National Institute on Aging, weak bladder muscles as well as overactive bladder muscles or damage to nerves that control the bladder all can leave people struggling to control their bladders. Moreover, men with blockages from enlarged prostates can have problems controlling their bladders. And, people with arthritis can also have problems controlling their bladders.

    We store urine in our bladders. When we can’t control our bladder muscles, urine moves into the urethra and passes out of the body without warning. If you or someone you love is struggling to control your bladder, talk to your doctor. The doctor can give you a series of tests to see what’s happening and how best to treat the problem.

    Some people need to see urologists, who specialize in treating bladder issues. There are different causes for lack of bladder control, including stress on the bladder, “stress UI,” from exercise, laughing or sneezing, which is the most common cause. The appropriate treatment turns on the type of urinary incontinence you have.

    Kegel exercises, to make your pelvic muscles stronger, are generally worth trying. To strengthen these muscles, lie down on your back and squeeze the muscles you use to stop urinating for three seconds, relax for three seconds and repeat ten times, three times a day. Keeping a healthy weight, not smoking, not drinking alcohol and drinking less caffeine could also help.

    For the most part, the American College of Physicians supports use of medications as a last resort. It recommends kegel exercises and not systemic drug therapy for people with stress UI. For people with other types of urinary incontinence, it recommends kegel exercises and bladder training, a type of behavioral therapy that involves urinating on a set schedule, before taking medications.  For obese women, it recommends exercise and weight loss. Treatments that do not involve medications have fewer side effects and are less expensive.

    Medicare covers weight-loss counseling, smoking cessation counseling and alcohol counseling. It also covers nutrition counseling.

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