Urinary Incontinence is a very common urological disorder seen in almost 75 to 80 percent women after childbirth. Even though there are prescription medicines for curing this syndrome, there are several easy natural remedies that may help you in treating Urinary Incontinence. Doing Kegel exercise regularly is the most effective way to get rid of this problem. Kegel exercise strengthens the pelvic muscles and prevents uncontrolled urination. Other natural remedies include taking magnesium supplements, apple cider vinegar and also vitamin D.
Also doing regular yoga or Pilates, eating fiber rich foods, taking nutmeg, staying hydrated also helps in curing an overactive bladder. Other useful remedies include quitting smoking, cutting on caffeine and avoiding spicy food, citrus fruits, tomatoes and also artificial sweeteners.
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The natural remedies to treat Urinary Incontinence are as follows:
Natural Remedies to Treat Urinary Incontinence
Kegel exercise
Kegel exercise is a form of exercise of the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises are easy to do and a great way to regulate your urination. This exercise mainly includes alternate tightening and relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises are extremely useful in the early stages of urinary incontinence. It is important to note that during this exercise, you should keep the muscles in your buttocks, thighs and abdomen completely relaxed. You must avoid holding your breath and be sure to empty your bladder before you begin.
Many women postpone treating their urinary incontinence post birth till they reach menopause. This might be very harmful. It is better to seek help immediately if you have urinary problems. Consulting a professional physiotherapist for kegel exercises is the best way.
Read More: 11 Simple and Effective Exercises For Infants
Magnesium supplements
Magnesium is a mineral which ensures proper nerve and muscle function. Taking magnesium supplements therefore will help you to regulate the functions of your pelvic floor muscles. Magnesium helps to reduce urinary bladder spasms to a great extent. Less spasms allows the urinary bladder to empty itself completely. Therefore eating magnesium rich foods like banana, yoghurt, corn and potatoes is extremely beneficial if you have urinary incontinence. Magnesium supplements are also helpful. But you must consult your doctor before taking any supplement.
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Vitamin D
Vitamin D is useful for muscle development and good bone health. A study in 2010 shows that those women who have higher Vitamin D levels in their body are much less likely to experience urinary incontinence. You can include foods like eggs, fish and milk to increase your Vitamin D intake. You can go out in the sun every day as well. Sunrays are a natural source of Vitamin D. Also Vitamin D supplements might prove helpful. Always consult your doctor before taking such supplements.
Read More: 11 Benefits of Taking Prenatal Vitamins
Apple Cider Vinegar
Taking apple cider vinegar to cure urinary incontinence is one of the most useful natural remedy. Apple cider vinegar helps by balancing your body’s pH levels. It also cures any urinary tract infection that you may have contracted. Apple cider vinegar can be consumed in liquid as well as capsule form. You need to make sure that the vinegar is organic. However, consult your physician before trying this.
Yoga and Pilates
Doing regular yoga or even Pilates is an amazing way to treat urinary incontinence. Yoga provides same benefits like Kegel exercise. It helps to tighten the pelvic muscles and thus control urine leakage. Urinary incontinence can also be caused by stress and anxiety.
Yoga is a good way to relieve stress as well. A recent study shows that a 6 week yoga therapy helped women to reduce their urine leakage by almost 70 percent. Doing Pilates also is equally helpful in this case. Losing extra weight is an effective way to cure this problem. You should seek help of a professional trainer to help you in these exercises.
Read More: 11 Must Know Health Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
Stay hydrated
Drinking plenty of water and fluids is very important to treat urinary incontinence. Dehydration can cause constipation which can irritate your bladder all the more. This might aggravate the incontinence. Drinking almost 6 to 8 glasses of water is vital every day. But make sure you drink water mostly in the day. Otherwise you may have to take frequent trips to the bathroom at night!
Cut the caffeine
Caffeine usually irritates the urinary bladder and increases muscle contraction. This can cause urinary incontinence. Caffeine also has a kind of excitatory effect on your bladder, as it stimulates your nerves. It is best that you restrict your caffeine intake post childbirth, especially if you have urinary incontinence. Reducing the number of cups of coffee will go a long way to remedy your urinary problems.
Quit smoking
Smoking is a definite contributing factor to urinary incontinence. Nicotine which is found in cigarettes irritates the bladder and increases the incontinence. It is also known that heavy smokers are more likely to experience this than the non smokers. Smoking also induces frequent coughing which causes stress related urinary incontinence. Therefore, if you are a smoker and have urinary incontinence, it’s time to quit.
Avoid spicy food and citruses
Some foods, fruits and vegetables irritate the urinary bladder much more than others. Spicy food which are filled with hot pepper are very harmful for your bladder. Even citrusy fruits, tomatoes and also artificial sweeteners are causes of irritation in the bladder. You must take care to avoid consuming such items during urinary incontinence after childbirth. This will keep your bladder in control and help you get relief from the problem.
Nutmeg
Taking nutmeg on a regular basis works like magic for urinary incontinence. This is an age old home made remedy to cure urinary problems, especially uncontrolled urination in women after childbirth. You can take a pinch of nutmeg with water twice daily. You can see the change within 4 to 6 weeks. However, consult your doctor before trying this natural remedy.
Fiber rich food
Eating a diet of fiber rich foods is very effective in this situation. Fiber rich foods help you to avoid constipation. Constipation is a sure shot way to complicate your incontinence as constipation irritates the bladder. Irritation in the bladder will only make your situation worse. Therefore, include Brussels sprouts, lentils, peas, broccoli, artichokes, and beans and other such fiber rich fruits and vegetables in your regular diet. This will keep the constipation at bay and help in relieving you from urinary incontinence.
Conclusion
Urinary Incontinence is a very common syndrome in new mothers. The process of giving birth usually stretches the pelvic floor muscles and cause uncontrolled urination. This is a curable problem. There are many natural remedies which are widely used and actually prove effective in treating this situation. However, if your condition worsens over time you should immediately consult a doctor. Urinary incontinence can cause severe problems if left untreated.
Reference
https://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-urinary-incontinence.html
