Original post by Dr. Mary H. Palmer for LiveConfidently.com

After repeated exposure to print, television, and internet advertising, many people may think that all women, sooner or later, are destined to develop urinary incontinence. The truth is that women of all ages can experience involuntary urine loss, and age alone is not a contributing risk factor to incontinence. As women age, however, they do face special challenges to maintaining bladder control. Women over 50 who have not previously had urinary incontinence episodes may begin to experience urine leakage in association with a sneeze or sudden urge to void, or both.

The two most common types of incontinence in women over 50 are stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence, where a small amount of urine escapes, may occur with laughing, coughing, or changing from a sitting to standing position. With urge incontinence, a moderate to large amount of urine may escape because of a strong urge to empty the bladder that cannot be overcome. Women may also experience symptoms of several types of incontinence, called mixed urinary incontinence.

Women over 50 can experience heavier leakage based on other medical conditions. Reflex incontinence can cause sudden and unexpected loss of urine due to stroke, brain tumors, or spinal cord injuries. Overflow incontinence occurs when the bladder feels full and there is constant leakage of urine. It can be caused by certain medications, urethral obstructions, nerve damage from diabetes, or other factors.

Common Incontinence Risk Factors

Though different types of incontinence have varying causes, some of the most commonly reported urinary incontinence risk factors in women over 50 are as follows:

• Menopause: Post-menopausal women are at increased risk of incontinence due to estrogen depletion in pelvic floor muscle tissue, although estrogen replacement therapy has not proven to benefit women in treating urinary incontinence.
• Surgery and Medications: A history of pregnancy, pelvic surgery, or hysterectomy can increase the risk of urinary incontinence due to damage to nerves and tissues in the pelvic floor. The use of certain medications and diuretics has also been associated with incontinence.
• Diabetes: Over time, diabetes damages the bladder’s nerves and blood vessels, leading to disruptions in bladder function.
• Weight: Excess body weight can put stress on the muscles and ligaments that support the bladder, contributing to bladder leakage and more frequent trips to the bathroom.
• Smoking and Drinking: Coughing caused by smoking can strain pelvic floor muscles, leading to increased risk of bladder leakage. Alcohol has a direct effect on the bladder, reduces nerve control, and acts as a diuretic. It interferes with the messages your brain sends to your bladder so you’re more likely to have an incontinence episode.
• Race: Caucasian women are more likely to experience urinary incontinence than African American women. Stress incontinence is most commonly reported among Caucasian women, while urge incontinence occurs more frequently among African American women.

How to Reduce Incontinence Risk Factors

Fortunately, some incontinence risk factors may be reduced through lifestyle changes, like giving up smoking or losing weight. Findings from research studies show that overweight and obese women who are already incontinent and lose 5 – 10% of their body weight see improvements in their urinary incontinence. Maintaining a healthy weight to attain normal body mass index may also help to prevent diabetes.

In an attempt to control hunger while dieting, some women will drink large amounts of water throughout the day. Excess water consumption can lead to urinary incontinence by rapidly overwhelming the bladder with a large volume of urine. Reducing caffeine intake may help women avoid the urgency and frequent urination associated with overactive bladder, and could possibly remove the threat of urinary incontinence altogether.

It’s important to remember that incontinence is not a disease, and can be a symptom of other medical issues. Although there are some incontinence risk factors that cannot be changed, women can take actions to prevent bladder leakage. Talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about maintaining or restoring bladder control. They can assess your unique risks, identify medications or surgical side effects that may cause incontinence, and develop a treatment plan specific to your needs.

Have any tips to add? Head over to our living with incontinence forum and join the conversation about incontinence risk factors for women over 50.

Original article can be found at Live.confidently.com.

By Leslie Gaillard for LiveConfidently.com

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for total body health, as well as the health of each of your body systems. Excess body weight adds unnecessary strain and stress on your individual organs, joints, and ligaments. Consider that for every extra pound of weight you carry, the stress on the knee joint is increased by 4%, which can contribute to pain and limited mobility.

The bladder is another organ that is impacted by excess weight. In particular, excess body weight carried around the midsection can stress and stretch the muscles and ligaments that support the bladder. Not surprisingly, this can contribute to bladder leakage and more frequent trips to the bathroom, due to urgency. Furthermore, excess abdominal fat, known as visceral fat, raises an individual’s risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Here are some of my favorite tips to help you stay healthy and maintain a healthy body weight to help control incontinence:

Avoid caloric beverages like sugar sweetened sodas, sports drinks, lemonades, and fruit drinks. 100% juice should be limited to 1 cup daily. Liquid calories don’t register with the satiety center in your brain like food does.

Limit your intake of processed foods, especially foods made with refined white flour or added sugars. If the first or second ingredient is a sugar or refined flour (such as enriched wheat flour), it’s not an ideal food to be eating regularly. Instead, choose whole grains like oats, barley, whole wheat, brown rice, and quinoa.

Strive for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. When fresh produce is not in season, try frozen fruits and vegetables that contain no added sugars or sodium. Research shows that people who increase their fruit and vegetable intake lose as much as those restricting calories.

Limit unhealthy fats. This can include fatty cuts of red meat, fried foods, cheeses, and other whole milk dairy products. Also, avoid any products containing trans fats, also known as “partially hydrogenated oils.” Choose healthy fats like nuts and seeds, avocados, and olive oil.

Consume adequate fluids. At a minimum, most individuals need 64 ounces of fluid per day. Ideally, most fluids should come from water and other non-caffeinated beverages. Note that caffeinated and carbonated beverages increase bladder urgency. Urine that is the color of pale straw or diluted lemonade is indicative of being properly hydrated.

Get moving. Strive to get regular aerobic exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Alternatively you can break up your exercise routine into shorter intervals, such as 10 minutes three times per day. Incorporate resistance or strength training two times per week for total body conditioning.

Do you have any healthy tips of your own? Head to our incontinence forum and share your thoughts with people just like you!