Urinary Incontinence is the sudden urine loss that occurs involuntarily in women. Some of the factors which cause urinary incontinence are pregnancy, menopause and childbirth. It should be noted that urinary incontinence by itself is not a disease, but is a symptom of other underlying disorders such as diabetes, infections and other conditions.

Causes of temporary cases of urinary incontinence include:
1. Constipation
2. Urinary tract infections
3. Excess consumption of alcohol and caffeine
4. Consuming carbonated drinks
5. Use of artificial sweeteners
6. High doses of vitamin B and vitamin C
7. Being on sedatives, muscle relaxants, blood pressure and heart medications
8. Eatables which are too spicy, acidic or sugary

However, persistence of incontinence might be due to a more serious condition. Some of the causes are stated below:

Age: The bladder muscles tend to weaken with age. This affects the bladder s urine holding capacity.
Pregnancy: Hormonal changes and increase in weight during pregnancy can cause incontinence.
Menopause: Oestrogen is responsible for the healthy maintenance of the lining of the urethra and bladder. The onset of menopause causes the oestrogen hormone levels to drop. The gradual damage of the bladder tissues causes incontinence.
Childbirth: The bladder control muscles are weakened during normal vaginal delivery, thus leading to incontinence.
Obstruction: Occurrence of tumours in the urinary tract can block the normal flow of urine which can cause incontinence.
Hysterectomy: The same ligaments and muscles support both the bladder as well as the urethra. With removal of the uterus by hysterectomy, the pelvic floor muscles are deteriorated. This leads to urinary incontinence.
Neurological disorders: Conditions such as multiple sclerosis (autoimmune disorder in which the immune system destroys the protective sheath of the nerves), Parkinson s disease (disorder affecting motor functioning of the body), brain tumours, spinal injury or strokes are capable of causing incontinence.

Different forms of urinary incontinence are classified on the basis of their symptoms:

Urge incontinence: Urge or urgency incontinence occurs when there is a leak before the person reaches the toilet.
Stress incontinence: Small amounts of urine leak out during normal physical movements such as sneezing, coughing and exercising. This happens because of the minimum stress exerted on the body, and hence, the name.
Functional incontinence: Sudden leakage of urine occurs due to external deterrents or physical disabilities such as not being able to find a toilet.
Overactive Bladder: This is characterized by frequent and urgent urination.
Overflow incontinence: A full bladder, at times, leads to unexpected leakage.
Transient incontinence: If urine leakage occurs due to temporary situations such as infections, or new medications.

Did You Know - Constipation Can Also be a Sign of Urinary Incontinence

Constipation is an uncomfortable problem which causes bloating and build of gas. The problem can be painful if the gas is building up for more than 3 days. The only way to reduce constipation is to make changes in the diet and including leafy vegetables and fluid in daily diet. Fruits and vegetables are the best way to relieve from constipation. The fibre content in fruits and vegetables help in timely stools and hence, reduce constipation.

What Drinks are Good to Relieve Constipation?

Here are some of the drinks that one can try:

Apple Juice -
An apple has the highest fibre contents. You can make fresh apple juice in the home by cutting apples into small pieces and grinding them into a paste. Pass the content in the sieve and extract juice from it. The apple is a good source of pectin, which is soluble fibre and helps in relieving from constipation. Make this drink in the morning and drink it while it is still fresh.

Prune Juice -
Prunes (also known as dried plums) have mild laxative effects. Dried plums are very rich in dietary fibres, and are very healthy for bowel movements. With the laxative properties, they are best suited to people who are unable to go for regular stools. Take some prunes and soak them in water for overnight. In the morning, when they are soft and mushy, grind them into a fine paste. Extract the juice and drink immediately.

Salty Lemon Water -
The easiest drink to calm constipation is the Lemon water with salt. Lemons are a very good source of Vitamin C and fibres which regulate the bowel system. Salt is good for a bowel movement and healthy for maintaining PH balance. You can add lemon juice in a glass of water with two pinches of table salt. You can also add black salt or pink Himalayan salt for energy.
What is a Safe Laxative to Use Daily?

Over the counter, laxatives are not recommended for a long time. There are some natural laxatives available for daily consumption like prunes and pomegranate. Apart from fruits, you can also take fibre supplements which provide essential fibres to the body and help you calm constipation.

How Much Prune Juice Should I Drink to Poop?

Prune juice is not advisable if you are facing dysentery. However, prune juice is recommended by the doctors to treat constipation in adults as well as children. Prune has laxative effects in the body. Hence, its consumption should be limited according to the needs of the patient.

Do Prunes Make You Poop Right Away?

There is no evidence that prunes induce poops right after drinking. They help to add bulk to the food in the digestive system, which allows you to digest food quickly. It contains soluble fibre, which is helpful as a mild laxative.

Takeaway 

There are many fruit juices which help in treating and reducing the problem of constipation. However, it is advisable to consult a Gastrologist before making a change in the diet.

Constipation - Know Best Juices For It!

Constipation is a irritating problem that mostly occurs due to the absence of adequate amount of fibre or water in your diet. It is caused by slow movement of food through the digestive tract. Constipation can occur due to poor bowel habit, eating less fiber, medications, hormonal issues or some other disease.


Here are some common solutions that can seriously help you out in constipation:
Yogurt: Excellent source of probiotics, which contain beneficial bacteria are a great remedy for constipation. However, you can take the humble homemade yogurt full of beneficial bacteria in your meal every day and get relief from constipation.
Oatmeal Tea: When things are severe, oatmeal is fibrous, honey is healing and moisturizing and chamomile is an anti-inflammatory agent, which soothes the stomach. Together, they can stop severe constipation. So, take a cup of water and add three teaspoons of oatmeal, a tea bag of chamomile and two teaspoons of honey. Drink 2-3 times a day if your problem is severe.
Baking soda: Baking soda is an effective cure for gas, pressure and pain in the digestive tract and stomach ache as excessive air is released from the body by its action. It also functions as a laxative by making the passage of accumulated waste products through the intestines a smooth process. Moreover, stool is loosened and passed without pain on its consumption. Directions - take a quarter cup of warm water and stir a teaspoon of baking soda into it. Consume the mixture as quickly as you can.
Castor oil: Castor oil is often referred to as a stimulant laxative and is a very useful remedy for constipation. Castor oil enables smooth movement and functioning of the intestines, making it easier for stool to pass.  Directions - drink 1 to 2 teaspoons of castor oil on an empty stomach. It takes about 8 hours to show its effect, so decide which time of the day will be suitable for you to consume it.
Coconut oil and flaxseed: A great combination coconut oil is a wonderful hydrating agent and eases stool. Flaxseeds help in the elimination of toxins, excess fat and cholesterol from the body. So in one tablespoon of coconut oil add half a teaspoon of flaxseeds, chew well and eat this every morning.

Need Relief From Constipation - 5 Ayurvedic Remedies at Your Rescue

An essential prerequisite for good health is having regular bowel movements. People all over the world have a misconception about the regularity of bowel movements. Having bowel movements three times a day or three times a week (if that is the routine) is considered regular. Irregularity in bowel movements can often lead to constipation and it is something that should never be ignored. It not only affects our health but also affect our overall being in ways that are unexpected. Let us take a look at some of these unexpected side effects of not pooping regularly:

Constipation can trigger headaches: The cause for a headache can be many things, but the first likely reason is stress. When you do not poop properly, the pain, inconvenience and worry will build up, leading to mental stress. This anxiety can trigger headaches. Also, headache can occur because of dehydration, which is often a result of constipation. By drinking more water, you can get a relief from both constipation and headaches. Moreover, the buildup of toxins in the body also causes a headache. regular is a key channel that releases all the toxins from the body and when that does not work, it is bound to cause problems.
It can cause breakouts: What happens in and out the gut shows up on the skin. Skin conditions like acne, pimple, dark circles and even rashes can occur due to internal gut and digestive issues. When the toxins are not eliminated regularly from the body, they tend to accumulate over time leading to major skin breakouts.
It carries a risk of anal fissures: Due to hardened stool, there is not enough lubrication and this can lead to a tear of the skin. This is called an anal fissure and the prime symptom of this condition is the presence of blood in your stool. So, if you feel pain or see blood while pooping, you need to contact your healthcare provider and relieve your condition.
It may cause Diverticula or Heamerhoids: Long term constipation can lead to certain ailments which tend to form because of the pressure of straining to pass your poop. You can be affected with diverticula which result in bulges or pouches on the lining of the colon area. Or it can also cause a strain in the veins along the rectum and lead to
Hemorrhoids.
It affects your Bladder control: The colon and the bladder share a close relationship with each other. If there is too much pressure on the bladder because of a full colon, it can lead to decreased control of the bladder. Your bladder will not fill all the way, empty badly or cause unexpected leakages. So, chronic constipation can cause apparent leakage problems too.
It can make you lose appetite: Eating food can be a major turn off for people with constipation. Appetite loss is not just an enjoyable form of hunger suppression, but a big inconvenience.

Not Pooping Regularly - Ways It Will Affect Your Body!

Constipation is when a person has difficulty passing stool or has very dry stool. With processed and refined food habits on the rise, constipation is also becoming a rampant problem. The food passes through the large intestine, where a large part of the water is reabsorbed and stool is formed. This is expelled from the body, and if there is constipation, this passage of stool can be difficult, painful, and may be accompanied by bleeding too.

Constipation is common in children as well as among the elderly. Children eat a lot more junk compared to adults. As age progresses, elders begin losing teeth and they chew less which leads to indigestion and thereby constipation. Treating constipation should be a conscious effort as it does not have a single remedy. A combination of dietary changes including all aspects like fiber, water, caffeine etc. can help in treating constipation effectively. 

As the first thing in the morning, drinking a glass of lukewarm water is good. Add some baking soda to this, if you are feeling bloated, it aids in cleansing the bowels.
Ginger tea is another great remedy to induce bowel movements in the morning.
A glass of warm milk with a little honey or sugar is a good remedy for constipation.
Warm water or milk with Isabgol husk at bedtime helps bowel movements in the morning.
Applying a few drops of lukewarm castor oil over the navel when going to sleep can help in easy passage of stools in the morning.
Guava, pears, oranges, grapes, papaya, apples, and other fruits add roughage to the diet and help in easy passage of stools.
Soak some raisins in hot water, cool it, crush and strain them. This is very effective for treating constipation in children.
A glass of carrot juice or papaya juice is very useful in treating constipation.
Drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water to avoid constipation. The artificial juices and canned drinks do not count in this, as they only make it worse.
High-fat, processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine are major causes of constipation. So one should avoid them to a large extent.
Including small amounts of olive oil, castor oil, and ghee help in lubrication and easy passage of the stools.
Triphala, which is a popular Ayurvedic preparation, can be mixed with warm water and consumed to prevent constipation. Given its bitter taste, you can add a small amount of honey to it. It has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-parasitic properties. This helps in overall cleansing of the colon and is not just a short-term remedy.
Yogasanas like pavana muktasana, yoga mudra, dhanur asana, and vajrasana have major benefits on the digestive system, including releasing accumulated gas and passage of stools.
Following these tips and maintaining dietary and lifestyle discipline is very effective in providing long term remedy from constipation.

Constipation - 13 Natural Ways It Can Be Treated!

Is Constipation the Only Cause of Piles? + It's Symptoms

Piles, which are also called hemorrhoids, refer to the swelling of the veins near the anus and rectum, which get irritated during bowel movements, causing pain and bleeding during stool motions. The veins near the rectum or the anus may rupture during strained bowel movements and thus, cause the blood to come out with the stool. This can be very painful for the patient and has a very disruptive effect on their lives.

Causes of Piles

There may be many causes for piles or hemorrhoids and the cause may vary from patient to patient. Let's have a look at a few of them.

Straining when passing a stool - This is by far the most common reason for piles and this is what causes the irritation on the veins or causes them to rupture

Chronic Constipation: People suffering from chronic constipation due to gastrointestinal problems may also suffer from piles due to putting pressure constantly to relieve themselves.

Lifting a heavy weight or doing strenuous work: This can also put physical stress on the anus or rectum and cause swollen veins, which may then rupture during the passage of stool.

Pregnancy - Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes in the body and the strain may also result in piles.

Symptoms of Piles

Some of the symptoms of piles or hemorrhoids are:

- Painful bowel movements, which hurt the rectum or the anus, accompanied by general tenderness within the region
- Bleeding or seeping of a bright red color blood onto the stool on the toilet or even on toilet paper
- Itching in the anal areas, which may be continuous or intermittent
- A swelling or lump near the anus, which is painful
- A mucus-like discharge from the anus

There may be one or more factors present in particular cases and if there is a pain in the rectal area, it is best to get it checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Is Constipation the Only Cause of Piles? + It's Symptoms

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