Urinary incontinence is a loss of control of a person’s bladder that can cause accidental leakage of body fluids. If this is not treated in time, incontinence can become more complicated and be more than a physical problem that disturbs a person’s quality of life.
Although it can happen to anyone, urinary incontinence is more common in older people And, according to the National Institute on Aging in the United States, women are more likely than men to suffer from it.
People with this disease often avoid being intimate or having sex because they are afraid of leaking urine. In addition, the fear of having an accident can prevent you from exercising, enjoying hobbies, or being away from home for longer periods of time.
Therefore, the specialized portal better with healthlisted some exercises for the pelvic floor, which is made up of a set of muscles that are responsible for supporting the uterusbladder, rectum, and small intestine.
The following exercises were designed by the famous gynecologist Arnold Kegel and they intend to avoid urinary incontinence and that it does not “decrease satisfaction in sexual relations”.
To start you have to identify the muscles of the pelvic floor, these can be recognized while liquids are being eliminated. It is enough to make pauses, interrupting the urine and recognizing which are the muscles that contract with this action.
Then must be placed face up on a flat surface, with knees bent and the following steps must be followed:
1. Tighten the muscles as when holding urine.
2. Hold the contraction for five seconds.
3. Relax your muscles and start over.
4. It is recommended to perform 10 repetitions.
It should be noted that there are several types of incontinence that must be diagnosed by a specialist. In accordance with Medline Plusthe United States National Library of Medicine, these vary depending on their cause:
- stress incontinence: happens when stress or pressure on the bladder causes the bladder to leak. This frequently occurs when coughing, sneezing, laughing, etc. This type of incontinence may be due to a bladder out of the normal position or weak pelvic floor muscles.says the Library.
- urge incontinence: occurs when you have an urgent need to urinate and some urine escapes before reaching the bathroom. This urinary incontinence is common in elderly people. It can be caused by overactive bladder, neurological conditions, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries.
- overflow incontinence: This happens when the bladder does not empty completely and urine is stored. It is more common in men and may be due to tumorskidney stones, diabetes and some medications.
- functional incontinence: This type of incontinence occurs when some physical or mental disability makes it difficult to get to the bathroom in a timely manner. For example, someone with dementia or alzheimer’s may forget or be unaware of going to the bathroom. It is also common in people who suffer from arthritis or have reduced mobility, as they take time to unbutton their pants or sit on the toilet.
- mixed incontinence: This happens when the person has more than one type of incontinence (functional, overflow, urge, stress). In most cases, they are a mixture of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
- transient incontinence: This loss of urine occurs in a specific situation, which is characterized by being temporary. It can happen due to an infection or taking a new medicine.
