Urinary incontinence can cause you to isolate yourself because you fear you'll have an accident or you worry about odor. Instead of letting incontinence control your life, talk to your doctor about finding a solution. Incontinence can often be cured with the proper treatment. It shouldn't be thought of as a normal result of aging or pregnancy. The treatment your doctor recommends depends on the type of incontinence you have. Here are some treatments for urinary incontinence to consider.

Lose Weight And Avoid Certain Foods

If you're overweight, your doctor might encourage you to lose weight to take pressure off of your bladder. In addition to making dietary changes to lose weight, your doctor might advise you to avoid foods that can trigger bladder spasms and incontinence. For instance, if caffeine, artificial sweeteners, soda, spicy foods, or alcohol seem to make your symptoms worse, you may need to eliminate them from your diet.

Do Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises can strengthen the muscles that support your bladder and in turn reduce or eliminate your urinary incontinence. Your doctor might describe the type of exercises you need to do or they may send you to a physical therapist for pelvic floor rehabilitation. A physical therapist can help you isolate the muscles that need to be strengthened and they can recommend tools and devices to use that help exercise your pelvic region.

Try Bladder Training

Bladder training might help, depending on the cause of your urinary incontinence. This might involve scheduling your visits to the bathroom at set times of the day or prolonging the time between your visits so you gradually gain control of your bladder. Your doctor might also advise you to urinate, then wait a couple of minutes and go again, each time you use the bathroom so your bladder can empty completely.

Wear A Pessary

A pessary is a small device that's worn in your vagina to support your prolapsed bladder. The device looks like a ring or donut, and it's worn most of the time and taken out weekly to be cleaned. A pessary can help you avoid urinary leaking when you exercise and go about your daily activities so you don't have to worry about urine odors, diaper bulges, or wet pants.

Get Botulinum Toxin Injections

Just like botulinum toxin relaxes the muscles in your face to eliminate wrinkles, the toxin can be injected into your bladder to eliminate muscle spasms. The effectiveness of the injections wears off over time, so if you choose this method of urinary control, you'll need to repeat the injections on a schedule recommended by your doctor.