How to deal with weak bladder?

Urinary incontinence is an occupational hazard for females. The aftermath of pregnancy can be a physical burden for some - weight gain, droopy breasts, a painful episiotomy scar & urinary incontinence.

One in four females suffer from incontinence. It is a nuisance & an embarrassment no one talks about it

It is all down to destroy of the pelvic floor muscles, which hold up the bladder & help to cease leakage, being stretched in the work of pregnancy & the birth of the kid.



After the menopause, lack of oestrogen weakens the exit valve from the bladder & it may leak if pressure inside the abdomen increases (coughing & sneezing). That is called stress incontinence.

Those stretched muscles may never regain their former tone, if a woman fails to do pelvic floor exercises. They are crucial in the six weeks after delivering a kid, in case you require to keep away from incontinence for the remainder of your life. But pregnancy is not the sole cause.

An examination will reveal a bladder prolapse, which can be repaired surgically. The next step is referral for a bladder X-ray, a cystogram & EMG to trace the muscular contractions in the wall & exit valve by a bladder specialist.

Post-menopause, the lining of the bladder may become unduly sensitive to the presence of any urine & try to empty itself - that is irritable bladder. Either of these conditions is made worse by obesity. Fat will compete with the bladder for space, reducing its volume & increasing its internal pressure. First, a urine infection must be ruled out or treated.

HRT can do much to restore pelvic floor strength after the menopause. For irritable bladder, there is bladder retraining & muscle relaxant drugs. Then there's the all-important pelvic floor exercises that can help incontinence whatever your age.

First, contract them by stopping the flow several times while you are urinating, tensing for seconds, relaxing for seconds, then tensing them again. Next, tighten & relax the muscles ten times, as quickly as you can so that they appear to flutter. Next, contract the muscles steadily as though you were trying to draw an object in to your vagina. Gradually build up to ten contractions, ten times every day or more, spaced over several hours.

One time you have mastered the process, you can do them anywhere, lying down, standing, watching television, even at the till.