Urinary Incontinence Treatment

Lose weight. In overweight or obese women, it has been proven that a 5–10% weight decrease can reduce the weekly episodes of urinary incontinence by up to 50%. Individuals are therefore advised to lose weight through their diets and by exercising.

Improve bowel transit. Reduce the effort required to defecate by following diet guidelines to improve chronic constipation; this will help avoid weakening the pelvic floor muscles.

Quit smoking. Will decrease the chronic cough and the impact on the pelvic floor muscles, and so you will experience fewer episodes of urinary incontinence. Furthermore, tobacco is a bladder stimulant, so quitting will also improve symptoms of urinary urgency.

Reduce intake or stop consuming bladder stimulants. Coffee, tea, alcoholic, fizzy, artificially sweetened and energy drinks, etc., all produce bladder spasms. Reducing consumption benefits women with symptoms of urinary urgency and an increased frequency.

Control fluid intake. You should consume around 1.5 litres of fluids per day. It is important to remember that a balanced diet already provides a portion of your required fluid intake. Individuals with urge or nocturnal incontinence should therefore try not to drink any liquids after mid-afternoon.

Moderate physical strain
It is important to practise daily physical exercise. However, women with stress incontinence or significant muscle weakness should avoid physical efforts that imply a risk for the pelvic floor muscles. In this regard, they are advised to practise activities such as walking, swimming or any others that help achieve good physical form without putting pressure on the abdomen.
As a precautionary measure, you should always try to contract the pelvic floor muscles whenever practising physical exercise in order to counteract abdominal pressure and prevent possible episodes of urinary incontinence.

Pelvic floor muscle training programme. The purpose of these exercises is to reinforce the muscles around the vaginal and anal region in order to increase the individual’s control over urine leaks. You should only attempt pelvic floor muscle exercises after being assessed by the corresponding healthcare professionals.

Devices. There are several devices available to help improve muscle strength in cases of urinary incontinence, such as vaginal cones or spheres, pessaries or tampons for incontinence.

Botulinum toxin. Is a substance used extensively in medicine. It is indicated in women with an overactive detrusor muscle (which squeezes the bladder) to relax the bladder.

Sacral nerve stimulation uses a system similar to a pacemaker to regulate the nerves controlling the bladder.

Tension-free vaginal tape surgery. It is the most popular technique and consists of placing a tape beneath the urethra (passageway from which urine is discharged) to provide greater support when straining and prevent urine from leaking out.

Tampons. These are vaginal tampons used to prevent losses of urine in cases of stress incontinence. Several sizes are available to provide a perfect fit to each woman’s vaginal capacity. They are hygienic, comfortable to wear and reusable. They are placed inside the vagina to support the urethra and prevent urine leaks, but without impeding the ability to urinate correctly.

Pessaries. These devices, available in different materials, shapes and sizes, are placed at the back of the vagina in order to maintain any fallen or prolapsed organs in their correct positions. Some of these devices are designed, specifically, for the treatment of urinary incontinence. The doctor or nurse will explain the hygienic measures, and also instruct you on how to insert and extract pessaries so that you can use them independently.