URINARY INCONTINENCE
Natural Support For This Embarrassing Problem
Inability to completely control the flow
of urine is a common complaint, effecting up to twenty million
Americans. Symptoms may range from a mild inability to hold urine when
coughing or laughing to inability to hold urine at any time. The
condition occurs in both men and women, although women and elderly
people are more commonly afflicted.
Causes of urinary incontinence include
weak pelvic floor muscle tone, weak urethral (bladder) muscle tone,
medication side-effects, nerve damage, food allergy, urinary tract
irritation (from drugs, foods, bacteria, viruses, fungi), imbalanced
pH, and increased intestinal permeability. Some of the drugs used to
treat incontinence have dangerous side-effects and should be avoided
if at all possible. Self-help measures prove highly valuable.
DIET AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS
- Finish daily water intake by 5 p.m. (This helps decrease
nighttime urination). DO NOT, however, decrease daily water intake.
Drink 64 ounces of pure water daily. Dehydration predisposes to
urinary tract infections.
- Eliminate known food allergens (which can irritate the urinary
tract and cause increased frequency).
- Check with your physician or pharmacist about any medications
you are taking. Some can cause incontinence.
- Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Excess weight pushes down
on the bladder and compromises muscular ability.
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, all of which increase
urination.
- Practice KEGEL exercises: tighten muscles to stop the flow while
urinating. Feel the muscles at work? Tense these muscles during the
day, hold as tightly as possible for a count of 10, relax. Repeat up
to 20 times per day. (Do these when you are NOT urinating. The first
time is done just to "feel" which muscles are at work). You can do
this in a car, in line at the grocery store, etc. You will notice
improvement beginning in 3 weeks.
PRIMARY SUPPORT
-
Maxi Multi:
3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of
antioxidants (A,C,E,beta carotene, selenium), are particularly
important in treating urinary incontinence.
-
Saw Palmetto: 1 cap, 2
times per day between meals. [Target dose: 240mg per day]. Although
best known for male prostate gland enlargement, this herb is useful
in both men and women to tone the urinary bladder sphincter muscle.
It also has a positive effect on male and female libido.
TESTS
- Consider having a male or female
hormone profile performed. Decreased sex hormones are associated
with a laxity of the bladder sphincter muscles. Natural hormone
replacement therapy can be very helpful in this condition.
DR. MYATT’S COMMENT
The above-listed measures, especially weight loss (if
overweight), Kegel exercises, saw palmetto and hormone balancing
really do work to correct urinary incontinence, even in very old
people. Start those Kegel’s without excuse and you can get rid of the
adult diapers!
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