Smoking has been linked to both Stress and Urge Incontinence.
Stopping smoking helps manage Urinary Incontinence.
Overweight women with a higher body mass index (obesity) sometimes
suffer Urinary Incontinence more often. Losing weight might help manage Urinary
Incontinence. A New England
Journal of Medicine article encourages weight loss.
Irritants such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and citrus fruit / juices have been known
to cause urgency in some women. Avoiding all of these might minimize incontinence symptoms in some women.
Pelvic Floor Exercises are a good first step and can be helpful,
but may not be as effective as surgical procedures.
Bladder training and fluid management might alleviate some symptoms. .
Vaginal inserts (tampons or pessaries) may add extra support when surgery is not appropriate.
Medication may be useful to reduce the activity of the bladder and give you more time to get to the washroom.
Memory loss (Alzheimer's disease) may limit the ability to recognise when it is time to urinate.
Nursing strategies include timed toiletting.
Mobility problems should be improved to shorten the time it takes to reach the toilet when
urgency becomes overwhelming.
