Anybody can lose control of their bladder – once or twice. However, it’s a problem when it continues to happen frequently, and at inopportune moments. With these home remedies for urinary incontinence, you should be fine.
Urinary incontinence is described as an inability to hold urine, that ultimately leads to urine leakage or an involuntary loss of urine. It’s a urological disorder, which is more common than you think.
Types of urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence can be divided into three main types:
- Stress incontinence, which occurs when physical exertions like jumping, coughing, laughing, sneezing, or exercising vigorously put pressure on your bladder, thereby releasing urine
- Overflow incontinence, which is an inability to fully empty your bladder, which leads to frequent and/or constant leakage of urine
- Urge incontinence, which is due to an overactive urinary bladder, which causes a sudden and an intense urge to urinate, thereby causing an involuntary loss of urine.
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Causes of urinary incontinence
There are a number of factors that may cause urinary incontinence. The chief among them include:
- An enlarged prostate
- An overactive urinary bladder
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- Kidney stones
- Menopause
- Nerve damage
- Constipation
- Aging
- Excessive caffeine and/or alcohol intake
- Childbirth or surgery that weaken pelvic floor muscles
- Certain medications and foods that could cause temporary incontinence
It’s an intense source of discomfort and embarrassment to lose control of your bladder, especially in someone’s presence. However, what you need to understand is that incontinence is not a disorder in itself, but a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Therefore, it’s extremely imperative that you address the underlying cause before trying to treat the incontinence itself.
Home remedies for urinary incontinence
Apart from getting treated by your urologist, you could also supplement your treatment with a few natural home remedies for urinary incontinence, which help with the condition. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective ones.
NOTE: Before trying any of these home remedies for urinary incontinence, consult your doctor.
1. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a remedy used to treat incontinence by strengthening the urinary system, while also correcting any imbalance of the kidneys. Also, it could help increase your ability to hold in urine and lower the urge to urinate.
Note: Get your acupuncture treatment done only by a certified and qualified acupuncturist. Do your research and ask the right questions before embarking on this treatment for urinary incontinence.
2. Apple cider vinegar
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Apple cider vinegar is another excellent home remedy for urinary incontinence. Not only does it help remove toxins from your body, it also helps fight any urinary bladder infections. Additionally, it helps in losing weight, which is again a contributing factor for urinary incontinence.
Remedy
- To 1 glass of water, add 2 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey. Stir well and drink this twice or thrice a day till you see improvement in your condition.
3. Buchu
Buchu or Agasthoma betulina is a flowering herb, which is indigenous to South Africa, and is very useful as a urinary tract tonic. Not only does it improve the overall health of your urinary system, it also helps treat incontinence caused by a bladder infection. This is all thanks to its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic properties. Additionally, it also helps strengthen the tissues in the urinary system, while also eliminating irritation in the area.
Remedy
- Add 1 teaspoon of buchu herb in a cup of hot water, letting it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink this tea a few times every day till you see improvement.
4. Cleavers
Cleavers have been used as an herbal tonic to treat urinary problems in traditional medicine for a long time. It is particularly helpful in treating an overactive urinary bladder. Also, it helps protect against urinary bladder irritation, since it forms a soothing coating along the bladder.
Remedy
- In 1 cup of hot water, add 3 teaspoons of this herb, letting it steep for 10 minutes, before straining it. Drink this tea at least thrice a day till you see improvement in your condition.
5. Fennel seeds
Fennel seeds contain compounds that help in treating urinary incontinence.
Remedy
- Add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds to 1 glass of warm milk. In a pan, heat 4 tablespoons of sugar and 1 glass of water till it evaporates and becomes a syrup. Add about 2 tablespoons of this sugar syrup to the milk and drink it every day till you find relief from your problem.
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6. Indian gooseberry
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Indian gooseberry is an excellent ingredient, which helps in treating urinary incontinence, thanks to the presence of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant.
Remedy
- Crush and grind 1 Indian gooseberry. To this paste, add 1 teaspoon of honey and a pinch of turmeric. Mix them all well to form a smooth paste. Consume 1 teaspoon of this paste every morning for about a month to strengthen your prostate muscles.
Note: Prostate gland and its related muscles are only present in males.
If your incontinence is due to weakened pelvic floor muscles, then Kegel exercises help strengthen them. Not only does it help improve bladder control, it also lowers the possibility of urine leakage. Thus, it is beneficial for reducing both urge and stress incontinence.
Remedy
- Tighten and hold your pelvic floor muscles, counting to 10. If you’re unable to hold till the count of 10, then just hold on as long as you can. Now, relax the muscles for the same count. Repeat this exercise at least 10-12 times, thrice a day.
Pro tip: A simple way to identify your pelvic floor muscles is to stop urinating midstream when you’re emptying your bladder. Now start again. The muscles that helped you stop midstream are the ones you’re going to be exercising when you’re doing your Kegels.
8. Magnesium
If you’re suffering from magnesium deficiency, chances are, you might be experiencing urinary incontinence. Another symptom of this mineral deficiency is leg cramps. Since magnesium is very vital for muscle relaxation throughout the body, its deficiency causes incontinence.
Remedies
- Consume foods rich in magnesium, like yogurt, nuts, and bananas in your daily dietary intake.
- Epsom salt is basically magnesium sulfate. Therefore, soaking your body in an Epsom salt bath for 20 minutes, a few times a week should be helpful. This allows for the magnesium to be absorbed through the skin. Dissolve 2 cups of Epsom salt in your bathtub and soak in it.
9. Meditation
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Meditation is known to help you regain control over you incontinent bladder.
Remedy
- Sit in a quiet place and let go of all thoughts from your mind. Focus on your even breathing, each breath taken in, and each breath let out. Do this for about 20-25 minutes every day, and you should notice an improvement in your condition pretty soon.
10. Stay hydrated
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Although this one seems like a counterproductive remedy, you need to drink enough water and other fluids to manage incontinence. If you don’t hydrate yourself properly, then it might lead to constipation, and as mentioned above, it irritates your bladder, thereby causing incontinence. See how vicious that cycle is?
Remedy
- Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water every day, throughout the day.
11. Vitamin D
Another excellent remedy is vitamin D, which is known to help treat urinary incontinence, because it helps maintain muscle strength.
Remedies
- Consume foods rich in vitamin D, such as egg yolks, milk and other dairy products, fish, and oysters.
- You could also ingest vitamin D supplements, but only after consulting your doctor.
- Stand in the sunlight early in the morning for about 10 minutes, which in turn helps the body produce vitamin D.
12. Yoga
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Yoga is known to help tighten the muscles that control urethral sphincter, which is almost similar to the benefits provided by doing Kegel exercises regularly.
Remedy
- To help with urinary incontinence, try these specific yoga poses like Root Lock, Squat pose, Chair pose, and Triangle pose. Seek the guidance of a trained yoga instructor before you start doing these yoga poses.
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Additional tips
- If you’re overweight, start losing weight immediately.
- Work out for at least half an hour, 5 days a week.
- Quit smoking because smokers are at higher risk of developing a hyperactive urinary bladder.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol, since both of these worsen an overactive bladder, while also contributing to irritation in the bladder.
- Citrus fruits, vinegars, hot peppers, tomatoes, spicy foods – are all things that could irritate your bladder. Avoid them.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners and any junk foods that contain them.
- Consume fibrous food by adding more fiber to your daily dietary intake to avoid constipation. Constipation is known to irritate your bladder, thereby causing urinary incontinence.
- Keep a consistent schedule of urination every couple of hours, even if you don’t feel like going, so as to bring it under control.
These are all the home remedies we have for treating urinary incontinence. Again, remember to consult your doctor before trying ANY of these natural remedies.
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
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