I'm not able to stop wetting myself, what should I do?

I have noticed that I am not able to stop wetting myself and this has been happening for about 6-8 months. I have also stopped drinking too much, usually only 5-6 cups of tea and a small glass of water with my tablets in the morning and in the evening, so I don’t have accidents, but it is getting worse. My mother had incontinence when she was elderly before she died and now that I am getting older (I am 58) I expect I am going to be the same as her. Are there any special pads or nappies that I can use to try to hide it from everyone?

Female · Asked by J. G. about 1 year ago

Our expert answered:

It is important to know that if you stop drinking water, the bladder muscles can become weaker, as it does not need to work to contain the urine. Your bladder is a muscle that needs to exercise to keep toned just like the muscles in your arms and legs.

It is generally recommended that one drinks at least 1500mL/day of fluid, as you are exercising, you should aim for at least 2000-2500 mL/day. This does not include drinks including caffeine, such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. You mention that most of your fluid intake is tea – unless it is decaffeinated tea, it doesn’t count for intake as the caffeine irritates the bladder causing it to delete the body of essentials fluids in order to dilute the caffeine content.

Avoid or minimise the intake of drinks including caffeine, or if consumed, match the intake with water.

Also when you go to the toilet, slowly build to holding until your 3rd urge. Then when you sit on the toilet, rest your feet on a stool to bring your hips up. When you do pass urine count to ten, then try to pass some more, and you will drain out a bit more. Whilst you are teaching your bladder to hold on to more urine, it is a good idea to wear an incontinence aid like the Depend Shields to avoid any embarrassment. But remember that the pads are only aids and not meant to replace going to the toilet and practicing healthy bladder habits.

Finally, remember that seeing your doctor or healthcare professional is the first step to improving incontinence.

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Tags: bladder muscles, caffeine, toilet, incontinence aid, Depend Shields, healthy bladder, healthcare professional, incontinence

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