Taking Care Of Myself Naturally

Natural Treatments And Remedies For Incontinence

by Amelia Graves

Incontinence can be more than an inconvenience. It can keep you from doing the things you love most. While there are medications to help manage incontinence, they do not work for everyone. And sometimes, they are more of a bandage than an actual solution to the problems that are causing your incontinence. Many people prefer to take a more natural approach to managing their incontinence. If you'd like to do the same, here are some incontinence treatments to consider.

Kegals

Kegals are basically isometric exercises in which you contract and release the pelvic floor muscles. If you're not sure what muscles those are, pretend you're stopping the flow of urine. The muscles you just used to do that are the same ones you'll contract and relax as you do kegals. You can do kegals on your own while you're sitting at a desk or watching TV. Start with just a few per day, and work your way up slowly. Over time, this will help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and give you more control over your bladder. Even if weak pelvic floor muscles are not the only reason you struggle with incontinence, strengthening them should help a lot.

Cutting Out Caffeine and Alcohol 

Controlling your incontinence is sometimes as much about avoiding certain things as it is about adding certain things to your diet or lifestyle. Both caffeine and alcohol can cause you to lose bladder tension and have less control over your urine flow. Try to slowly cut back on these substances and eventually eliminate them from your diet completely. It can be tough to part with caffeine, but decaffeinated coffee can be a good alternative. So can herbal tea. 

Pumpkin Seed Extract

Some people find that pumpkin seed extract helps reduce symptoms of incontinence. It is thought to help reduce inflammation in tissues that could be pressing on your bladder or urethra. You can find pumpkin seed extract at most health food stores. Look for capsules, which you can easily swallow once or twice per day, according to the instructions on the package. If you would prefer not to swallow pills, you could instead eat a handful of pumpkin seeds every day.

Incontinence is not always easy to treat, but the tips above should help. Remember to be patient. Whether you're doing kegals, cutting out caffeine, or taking supplements, it may be a few weeks before you notice a huge improvement. 

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