How to Treat Stress Incontinence in Women

Stress incontinence refers to involuntary urination from physical pressure on the abdomen in which there is a temporary and unexpected loss of control of the bladder and the subject leaks urine unintentionally. This embarrassing, inconvenient condition affects women more than men and occurs with heavy lifting, coughing, sneezing and other sudden physical exertion or movement. This article explains how to treat stress incontinence in women.

Things You'll Need

• Cranberry juice
• Cranberry extract
• Horsetail extract
• Vitamin B complex
• Passionflower extract

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the physical causes of your stress incontinence and work around these factors. Are you pregnant? Do you have a bladder infection or an urinary tract infection? If you are pregnant or suspect you have urinary system infections, please see a doctor immediately regarding your stress incontinence.
  In the meantime, practice slowing down your physical movement. Be careful when moving heavy objects and exercising, regulate your fluid intake, be mindful of how full your bladder is, go to the restroom frequently and keep your bladder as empty as you can when you are not in the vicinity of a restroom.

• 2

  Incorporate bladder-toning herbs and fruit extracts. Drinking cranberry juice (try to purchase ones that use natural sweeteners such as agave, honey or stevia, as sugar leads to urinary tract infections and bladder infections) and taking cranberry extract will help flush out strands of bacteria related to urinary tract infections and keep your bladder healthy. Horsetail extract is a powerful bladder tonic and should also be incorporated in your supplement regimen.

• 3

  Calm down and relax. Although the physical mechanics of stress incontinence isn't directly related to psychological stress, your body works best when stress-related inflammation is well controlled and kept at a minimum. To improve mood swings and relieve nervousness that are often associated with uncontrolled urine leakage, start taking the following nutritional supplements known for powerful effects on nervousness, stress and anxiety: passionflower extract, omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA in particular) and pantothenic acid, a B vitamin that is essential in support of the adrenal glands when the body is under stress.
  To "power up" your "calm down" routine, squeeze in relaxation exercises: deep breathing, yoga, meditation, qi gong, tai chi, or go to saunas and get massages.

• 4

  Remove all caffeine from your diet and beverages, as caffeine is a potent diuretic that stimulates urination. Abstaining from caffeine will also help you relieve the anxiety and stress that may exacerbate stress incontinence and unexpected urine leakage.

• 5

  Power up your bladder muscles. Start doing Kegel exercises, which tones and strengthens your bladder and vaginal muscles for better awareness and control over urination. The easiest way to perform Kegels is to practice halting your urination mid-stream and count to 15 before releasing the muscle and allowing urine to flow again. You can also do the Kegels whenever and wherever you are by squeezing the buttocks together, exerting pressure in your vaginal muscles, counting to 10 and releasing. Repeat as many times as you can throughout your day.