Leak a little? Read this!

Have you ever put your key in the door and all of a sudden got the strongest urge to wee?

Or have you ever needed to hold for that extra two minutes, but ended up with a little wet patch in your underwear because you just couldn’t hold it one more minute?

If you answered yes to these questions, then keep reading. You could be suffering with Urge Urinary Incontinence and this could make the world of difference to you.

Urinary incontinence affects up to 10% of Australian men and up to 38% of Australian Women. Unfortunately, 70% of people with urinary leakage will not seek advice or treatment for this problem. Let’s change this.

If left without intervention this condition can worsen and start making you plan your life revolving the nearest toilet. No toilet, no go. And let’s face it, this reduces your ability to enjoy your life.

Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI) is a term describing the loss of bladder control that occurs when someone has a strong sensation of needing to pass urine or is trying to get to the toilet. This is quite different to the leakage that occurs with a cough, laugh or sneeze (Stress Incontinence), as the underlying problem is quite different.

Our bladder is a muscular structure and as it fills the receptors in the bladder stretch. It is this stretch of the bladder wall that gives us a gradually increasing urge to pass urine. Only when we sit on the toilet is our bladder meant to squeeze and push the urine out. There are many reasons why a person might not experience the normal, gradual urge to pass urine, instead experiencing an uncontrollable urge that results in leakage. One reason for this is called “detrusor overactivity”. This is an involuntary contraction of the bladder muscle while it its filling. Another reason could be because you are training your bladder to empty too early and not allowing it to get to a sufficient level of stretch. So when you are a little fuller than usual, you are unable to hold.

So what can you do to improve this? Keep reading, these four tips might change your life!

1. Alter the total amount of fluid you consume each day: both too much and too little can worsen UUI. Too much fluid causes a fast urine production rate, increasing the chance of a bladder spasm. Whereas drinking too little fluid can make your urine very concentrated and irritate the outside of the bladder wall.
2. Reduce your caffeine intake: caffeine can cause bladder spasms! It is also a diuretic, so will lead to dehydration and increased urine output.
3. Reduce your artificial sweeteners: These are known to irritate the bladder in some people, increasing the intensity of bladder spasms.
4. Slowly push out the periods between your wee’s: get comfortable being uncomfortable (in your own space). Try and go an extra two, five, 10 minutes before emptying your bladder so you can get used to the feeling of a full bladder.

It is disappointing that people are too embarrassed to reach out for help when this is something that physiotherapy can be so helpful with.

That’s why we have created the “Bladder Distraction Handout” to help you regain control over your bladder!

To get it, simply “click here” and you will get access to your FREE download.