Dr. V K Agrawal

Urine incontinence is a condition that can be caused by one's everyday habits, side effects to medication, or any other long-term physical ailments. A thorough check-up by your doctor can help in getting to the root cause of this condition.

Certain beverages, medicines and foods can act as diuretics. This leads to bloating in your bladder and an increase in the volume of your urine. They include the following:

1. Liquor
2. Caffeine
3. Decaffeinated tea or coffee
4. Aerated drinks
5. Artificial sweeteners
6. Corn syrup
7. Drinks that contain high doses of artificial flavours, sugar or acid, particularly citrus based beverages
8. Heart medicines, narcotics, and muscle relaxants
9. Extensive intake of vitamins B or C
10. Urinary tract infection (UIT)
11. Constipation

Other causes:

Urinary incontinence can also be caused by the following:

1. Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and increasedweight of the uterus can cause stress incontinence.
2. Childbirth: Delivery can weaken the muscles required for bladder control. It damages the bladder nerves and steady tissue. With prolapse, the uterus, bladder, or the intestine can be pushed down from their usual position and might even protrude into the vagina.
3. Changes developed with age: Maturing of the bladder muscle can weaken the bladder's ability to store urine.
4. Menopause: After menopause,women deliver less estrogen. Disintegration of these tissues can cause incontinence.
5. Hysterectomy: In women, the same muscles and tendons support the bladder and uterus. Any surgery that removes the uterus may harm the supporting muscles, which can prompt incontinence.
6. Expanded prostate: Particularly in older men, incontinence usually occurs from growth of the prostate organ, a condition known as considerate prostatic hyperplasia.
7. Prostate cancer: In men, stress incontinence or urge incontinence can be connected with an untreated prostate disease. Incontinence is a reaction to medicines prescribed for prostate growth.
8. Obstruction: A tumour in your urinary tract can disrupt the typical stream of urine, prompting flood incontinence. Urinary stones at times cause leakage of urine.
9. Neurological disorders: Various sclerosis, Parkinson's illness, stroke, a mind tumour or a spinal damage can meddle with the nerve signals. These are important in keeping control of the bladder.

Your specialist may suggest the following:

1. Bladder control: You may begin by attempting to hold off for 10 minutes each time you feel a desire to urinate. The objective is to extend the time between visits to the toilet until you start urinating in two to three hour intervals.
2. Two-fold voiding: Twofold voiding implies urinating, then holding it for a couple of minutes and attempting once more. This exercise can help in leveraging better control in the long run.
3. Fixed toilet time: You may attempt to urinate every two to four hours instead of sitting tight when the need arises.
4. Liquid intake and diet: You may need to stay away from liquor, caffeine or acidic foods. Also, the fluid intake may have to be reduced in such cases.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!