Did you know that urinary incontinence affects 1 in 4 Australians? With up to 10% affecting men and 38% affecting women.
Urinary incontinence might be a little taboo or embarrassing to talk about, but it is a common issue that can have a significant impact on quality of life.
What is urinary incontinence?
A condition referring to loss of control of the urge to urinate. Severity ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to having an urge to urinate that's so sudden and strong you don't get to a toilet in time. Though it occurs more often as people get older, urinary incontinence isn't an inevitable consequence of aging. If urinary incontinence affects your daily activities, don't hesitate to seek treatment. For most people, simple lifestyle and dietary changes or medical care can treat symptoms of urinary incontinence (Provided by Continence Foundation of Australia).
What are the risk factors?
- Gender
- Age
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- Family History
Urinary incontinence can also be a persistent condition caused by underlying physical problems or changes, including:
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Menopause
- Enlarges prostate
- Prostate cancer
- Obstruction
- Neurological disorders
Symptoms
Many people experience occasional, minor leaks of urine. Others may lose small to moderate amounts of urine more frequently.
Types of urinary incontinence include
- Stress incontinence
- Urge incontinence
- Overflow incontinence
- Functional incontinence
- Mixed incontinence
How does urinary incontinence develop?
Temporary urinary incontinence
Certain drinks, foods, and medications may act as diuretics — stimulating your bladder and increasing your volume of urine. They include:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Carbonated drinks and sparkling water
- Artificial sweeteners
- Chocolate
- Chili peppers
- Foods that are high in spice, sugar, or acid, especially citrus fruits
- Heart and blood pressure medications, sedatives, and muscle relaxants
- Large doses of vitamin C
Urinary incontinence may also be caused by an easily treatable medical condition, such as:
- Urinary tract infection. Infections can irritate your bladder, causing you to have strong urges to urinate and, sometimes, incontinence.
- Constipation. The rectum is located near the bladder and shares many of the same nerves. Hard, compacted stool in your rectum causes these nerves to be overactive and increase urinary frequency.
Evidence-based nutritional support
- Maintaining a healthy weight: eating a nutritious balanced, wholefood diet.
- Avoid bladder irritants, such as caffeine, alcohol, and acidic foods
- Reduce consumption of diuretic drinks (coffee, tea, alcohol, energy drinks)
- Eat more fibre
- Nutrients for healthy muscle contraction and relaxation; magnesium and calcium
- Nutrients to support connective tissue health: vitamin C, zinc, collagen, silica.
- Pumpkin seed oil - especially for overactive bladder; and associated urinary incontinence
- Glycine - Soy germ: combination together with pumpkin seed oil shown to be effective
- Green tea (Hirayama & Lee, 2011)
Herbs for the bladder and urinary system
As prescribed by a qualified naturopath or herbalist;
- Nettle root; well known for use in BPH, inflammation of the urinary tract
- Crateva - traditional use in ayurvedic medicine; bladder tonic, assisting in bladder tone, anti-inflammatory
- Manuka/tea tree: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic
- Horsetail (Equisetum arvense); plant source of silica (silicic acid), connective tissue support
- Gotu kola (Centella Asiatica) connective tissue health
Lifestyle advice and physical therapy
Urinary incontinence isn't always preventable. However, to help decrease your risk:
- Exercise to maintain a healthy weight, and regular movement also supports healthy bowel motions, reducing constipation.
- Practice pelvic floor exercises; seek advice from a specialised pelvic floor physiotherapist (women’s health physio)
- Don't smoke, or seek help to quit if you're a smoker
References
Urinary incontinence - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Continence Foundation of Australia (2021) Key statistics on incontinence | Continence Foundation of Australia
Hirayama, F., & Lee, A. H. (2011). Green tea drinking is inversely associated with urinary incontinence in middle-aged and older women. Neurourology and urodynamics, 30(7), 1262–1265. https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.20987
Australian NaturalCare — helping you to live well every day
At Australian NaturalCare, we’re passionate about giving Aussies the remedies they need to live life to the fullest. Read more tips about how you can improve your overall health and wellness, or get in touch to find out more about our urinary health supplements and healthy vitamins.
