Complete Bladder Training Guide For Urinary Incontinence

Back when I was pregnant, a good sneeze would drench my pants. My life revolved around frequent trips to bathrooms and any long journey had to be chartered out with the whereabouts of restrooms along the way. There was even a party where I resorted to wearing a diaper rather than embarrass myself with a leak.

This fear of embarrassing leaks had me staying at home rather than going out and enjoying life with friends or family. I thought it would be fine after the delivery, but even afterwards, it took months of pelvic exercises to tighten the bladder muscles before I was able to leave the house confidently. Urinary incontinence is a reality for more people than you might think. For those of you currently going through it, here is the guide for you:

Causes of Urinary Incontinence

Many people hide their bladder control issues and find it difficult to discuss it even with their doctors. Identifying the cause and treating it can provide you with the right solutions and you can walk around with your head held high, free from caring about your bladder woes.

The involuntary loss of urine, or urinary incontinence, is more common in women than men. It usually occurs after childbirth and menopause.

Urinary incontinence is classified into four types:

1. Urge incontinence: Your bladder contracts even when it’s not full and you often feel a sudden, strong urge to go to the bathroom. You might find urine trickling down even before you reach the toilet.
2. Stress incontinence: Coughing, sneezing, laughing, or any sudden pressure on your abdomen can cause you to accidentally pee.
3. Mixed incontinence: When stress combines with urge incontinence, you know you’ve lost the war. It’s best to be armed with diapers if you are out for long periods.
4. Overflow incontinence: Urine leakage can arise even after a visit to the loo if the bladder was not emptied completely.

Ways to Train the Bladder

Bladder retraining is usually the first treatment doctors suggest for bladder control problems. This is a kind of behavioral therapy that helps you regain control over your urination. It gradually trains your bladder muscles to hold in urine for more and more periods of time to prevent leaks and emergency bathroom incidents. Bladder retraining can also be used as a treatment for children who bed-wet.

• Schedule bathroom visits: Jot down in a diary every time you go the bathroom and make a schedule by adding 15 minutes to that time. Even if you don’t actually feel the urge to go, visit the bathroom at each scheduled visit. Slowly try to increase the time between bathroom breaks.
• Delay urination: Even if you feel the urge to urinate, try to hold on until the scheduled time for the bathroom visit. If you find it feels too urgent, try to delay it for five or ten minutes by distracting yourself. Try counting backwards from 100 to one or use deep breathing relaxation techniques. Even if you ended up rushing to the bathroom for an unscheduled visit, you still have to stay on the schedule and make a visit at the next scheduled time slot.
• Kegel exercises: Using a combination of pelvic floor exercises, like Kegels, with other bladder retraining techniques has been found to be effective in treating urinary incontinence.

To do Kegels, you must squeeze the muscles, pretending you are holding them to stop the flow of urine. Start with a five-second hold and release, then work up to holding these pelvic muscle contractions for 10 seconds each, with 10 second rest periods in between. You can do three sets of 10 contractions every day.

To improve your success with bladder retraining, you can try out these different variations of Kegels and strengthen your pelvic muscles:

Image Source

You can also watch this excellent video that explains all that you need to know about doing Kegels correctly.

Conclusion:

In addition to journaling your bathroom breaks and practicing Kegels, limit caffeinated beverages, like sodas, coffee, and tea, that increase urination. Avoid fluids as bedtime nears and go to the bathroom one final time before heading off to sleep. Bladder training helps you hold on for longer periods of time between bathroom visits, giving you control over the urge to go.

Bladder retraining takes time and might take anywhere between six to 12 weeks to see results. If there is no improvement despite several weeks of bladder training, then your doctor might advise medication or even surgery to treat urinary incontinence.

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What You Can Do If You Have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Apart From Medication)

If you or someone you know have recently been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Doctors may prescribe birth control pills or diabetes medications in order to regulate hormonal production. And you may wonder, is taking pills the only thing I can do? Do I have to take pills for the rest of my whole life?

Medication is important and you should consult your doctors whenever you want to stop it. The good news is apart from medication, there are other things you can do that are proven to help.

First of All, What’s Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome occurs when the female hormones estrogen and progesterone are out of balance. Additionally, the body produces too much of the male hormone androgen.

This hormonal imbalance causes numerous cysts to grow on the ovaries. In turn, these cysts can cause complications with menstrual cycles, physical appearance, heart health, and fertility. Some of the symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome include: weight gain, anxiety, irregular menstrual cycles, excessive hair on the face and chest, and depression. ^[1]

How to Treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Without Medication

1. Lose Weight

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What does losing weight have to do with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? Well, the syndrome may cause you to put on pounds. Extra weight increases your blood sugar levels and can cause your menstrual cycle to be irregular. Losing around 10 pounds can help regulate hormone production.

Unfortunately, losing weight is more difficult for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Eating a healthy diet and exercising frequently can help.

2. Eat a High Protein Diet

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One of the best ways to lose weight with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is to increase your protein consumption. In a 2011 study, researchers monitored the weight of 57 women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome for a 6-month period. The participants followed 2 separate diets:

1. More than 40% of calories from protein and 30% from fat.
2. Less than 15% of calories from protein and 30% from fat.

At the end of the 6 months, 27 women remained in the study. Those who followed the high protein diet lost more weight, had smaller waistlines, and significantly lowered their blood glucose levels. ^[2]

To follow this dietary plan, first cut out high sugar desserts, soft drinks, and refined carbohydrates. Replace these with whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and oats, although at a reduced intake. Increase the amount of healthy protein in your diet by eating more hard-boiled eggs, beans, nuts, and other lean proteins like steamed fish.

3. Get More Exercise

Moderate exercise can help reduce the symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This is because physical activity lowers blood sugar levels, preventing insulin resistance. Additionally, it helps you maintain and lose weight. ^[3]

One of the best ways to get more exercise is by walking. Try walking around your neighborhood in the evenings, parking far from store entrances, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator any chance you have.

4. Take Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

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Some research indicates that increasing vitamin D and calcium can relieve irregular menstrual cycles and lower body weight in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

One study looked at 100 infertile women with the diagnosis who were taking metformin, a medicine commonly used to treat diabetes. A group of 50 women took only metformin. The other group took the same prescription of metformin and in addition, 1,000 mg of calcium and 100,000 IU of vitamin D.  The women who took supplements experienced an increase in weight loss and improved menstrual regularity. ^[4]

Before you take on any of these suggestions, make sure to consult your doctor. Remember, medications are often necessary for treating Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. You can follow these tips in conjunction with your prescription plan. In the long run, they can help you improve your health.

Featured photo credit: Leah Kelley via pexels.com

Reference

[1]	^	http://ift.tt/2gXrztN
[2]	^	http://ift.tt/2hm3mdK
[3]	^	http://ift.tt/2gXugfb
[4]	^	http://ift.tt/2hlUPaW

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Guess Which Is The Best Guy? It Tells Us Never To Judge Too Easily

Have you ever become best friends with someone you would never expect to at first sight?

Often, we judge too hastily, making decisions about people before we really know their story. What do people’s habits tell us about them?

Can you judge who the best person of the three people below based on their habits alone?

You’d pick C of course…

But wait….

Person A is Sir Winston Churchill

Churchill was Britain’s greatest wartime leader. He was also a noted speaker, historian, soldier, war reporter and author-biographer.

Has two lovers – Churchill had a close friendship with Violet Asquith, daughter of the Prime Minister, and it was assumed that Churchill and Violet would marry. However, another woman, Clementine Hozier captured his heart. Churchill wasn’t sure Clementine would marry him, so he kept up his relationship with Violet, using her as a “back up,” while hoping to win Clementine’s heart. When Clementine accepted his proposal, he broke the news to Violet, leading her to jump off a cliff, although she sustained only minor injuries. Churchill would admit that he treated Violet badly, but the two remained close friends.

Smokes cigars – Churchill always had a cigar in his mouth. His mother hated seeing him in public smoking so much that she bribed him with a pony and a new gun if he gave them up for six months. He did stop smoking then, but took it up again as soon as the six months were up. “The Churchill” a Cuban cigar was named after him.

Person B is Franklin Roosevelt (FDR)

Lost his job twice – In 1912, he won the re-election to the state senate but did not finish his term. He instead accepted the position of assistant secretary of the Navy. He also then left the public sector Fidelity and Deposit when he ran for Governor of New York.

Sleeps until midday – FDR was stricken with polio during the summer of 1921 leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He eventually could walk small distances with the use of braces and canes. In 1944, he was plagued with headaches in the evenings that left him overly exhausted throughout the day causing him to sleep excessively.

Drinks a bottle of whisky every day – FDR ended prohibition and was known to mix cocktails in the oval office, right at his desk. It was fitting that when Truman got the news of FDR’s passing he was sipping a Bourbon, calling it a fine tribute to his predecessor.

Person C is Adolf Hitler

Doesn’t smoke – During his early life, Hitler was a heavy smoker, but eventually gave up the costly habit. He encouraged his closest associates to quit smoking and banned smoking in his office, and around him.

Never betrayed his wife – Eva Braun was Hitler’s longtime companion, and was married to Hitler for just 40 hours before the pair committed suicide. Eva bit down on a Cyanide capsule while Hitler shot himself.

Don’t judge an individual by their habits.

We often judge others, keeping our minds closed. This also leads us to judge ourselves. We get stuck thinking our way is the only way, and anything different is wrong or negative. Instead, we need to look for the positive aspects of people and situations. Doing this will reduce judgment of others, and therefore the judgment of ourselves. It will also lead us to appreciate the differences in others and open our minds to new things.

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These Wonderful Book Bags Will Definitely Make You Read More Books

Have you ever thought that books are nothing more than literally dead wood, but we stare at them for hours and imagine the vividest of things? Entire worlds, new people, magical beings, there’s no end the things that books can make us imagine. And what better way to show off your love of books than with these cute book bags?

Also, having one of these by our sides might also encourage us to read more books. So it’s a win-win for everyone!

Check out these bags from this amazing series from Krukrustudio. Visit their store on Etsy. They have a book, er, bag for every occasion.

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13 Interesting Graphs That Sum Up Your Life Perfectly

Making wry observations of everyday life, artist Chaz Huton created a daily dose of chart drawings using Sticky Notes to brighten up any day with hilarious illustrations that encapsulate a smack into the realities of life.

1. Browsing Along A Streamline – All In A Day

You are on a daily ritual of getting to work, starting with a morning dose of ‘Facebook’. By lunchtime all is captured on Instagram and before the end of the day, ‘tweets’ are on a ‘get set.’

2. The Real Picture

We all have encountered the real picture at some stage. The best way forward is to review all options that are available and shortlist them from a real, live experiences. A review ‘behind the scenes’.

3. Solo In-house Party

The house party might have ended up with you taking a back seat in a corner and engaging in a solo ‘YouTube’ session, yet now you already know how to liven up the next one and take over the DJ stand!

4. Weekly Budget Review

Noodling it up while you are waiting for the next paycheck? Time to devise a way to make week one drag on until week four?

5. Lifetime dreams aspirations and goals right at your desk!

‘Wake up every morning to fit in an exercise routine for an hour before taking off to work’

And yes, in the early AM hours you were out there, ready to start a workout session. Then you noticed chickens and ended up analyzing chicken clucks as you heard the sounds? Time clicks by in a cluck!

6. House Decor And Design

The process is all about building up to the final vision and gradually increasing well-deserved, well-made items while in the motion of clearing out all the gathered clutter collections.

7. Money And Time

So finally, it is time to choose the final outfit for the launch party in a week’s time and after exploring outlets from one mall to the next, you finally find it. And then you go into overdraft and forget to keep aside transport expenses to get to the party? Sounds familiar? It may be time to re-analyze time and money spent.

8. Design Of Inner Diagnostics

We all need to start questioning the insides. Looking beyond revelations can bring a deeper, ‘higher’ insight. Get to know the inner compositions.

9. Weightlifting Rituals

Worry and guilt over your lack of daily workouts to stay healthy and in good physical shape. Have a look at how you getting into shape with your everyday routines!

10. Piling Up Loads – By Day And By Night

Each day passes by with no in-between breaks to get rid of the clutter? Time to improve your organizational skills!

11. Weekend Waiting Timeline

Waiting for a planned weekend break? From Monday morning blues, time does not fly, it just inches forward…at a snail’s pace.

12. Limitations Of Food Choices

Scroll down a menu in anticipation of your next gulp. You see. But you do not see. So, you put on your reading glasses and scroll down again. Your lunch hour is ticking away! And nothing seems to fit your taste buds?

Time to try something new? Or pack a lunchbox?

13. Prove You Are Not a Robot!

According to recent research, today’s artificial intelligence can solve CAPTCHA prompts with 99.8% accuracy. So how do we prove we are not robots?

The complications that arise in the daily life routines!

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