Dealing With Incontinence on a Day Out

If you deal with incontinence, you may feel concerned about heading out for a day on the town or to a park with friends. Whatever you plan to do, you will likely want to prepare yourself adequately in order to make the most of your day out. What should you pack? Are there certain things you should avoid? Are there any habits you might want to start forming in preparation? If you need a few suggestions, consider these tips on what you should pack and how to prepare for your next big day out of the house, especially if you want to avoid embarrassment while you're out and about.

Drink Water

Did you know that avoiding liquids is not a great way to prevent issues with incontinence? While it may appear to be useful in the extremely short term, avoiding liquid can actually make your incontinence worse over time because your bladder will shrink. If you're in the process of building up your bladder's capacity, it's essential to fill and pack a water bottle to take with you on your day out. Staying hydrated and supporting your bladder's growth is necessary for staying comfortable, as well as building progress to address your incontinence in the long term. However, choosing certain liquids may cause more problems rather than solve them, so we highly recommend sticking to water and other hydrating liquids of your choice.

Skip Caffeine

If you drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks, you may want to consider skipping them in the days leading up to your day out. Caffeine can irritate the bladder, making it more difficult for you to control urination throughout the day. Additionally, caffeinated drinks are typically diuretics, causing you to use the restroom more frequently than you might normally.

Stop Smoking

Smoking cigarettes, as well as smoking in general, may worsen your incontinence issues. They can trigger coughing fits, making you far more likely to lose control of your bladder and the urine inside it; this is largely because coughing can cause your bladder to contract. Cigarettes are also known for causing bladder cancer. This not only weakens your bladder, but it also makes you less likely to hold in your urine. Smoking can certainly make your incontinence issues even worse than they previously were, and choosing to leave your cigarettes at home or even breaking the habit altogether can make your bladder issues easier to manage.

Avoid Alcohol

You may also want to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while you're out. While some people find that this cuts down on the fun, you will probably find this to be the better option for controlling your incontinence. Choosing not to drink will make it far less probable that you'll have an issue with your bladder control. Similar to caffeinated beverages, alcohol can be a diuretic. Alcohol can make you more likely to urinate, make it more challenging to stay hydrated, and encourage your bladder to contract when you least expect it. If you'd like to avoid all of this, we recommend staying away from the booze.

Pelvic Exercises

Most commonly, incontinence is caused by a weak pelvic floor. However, you can strengthen this area much like any other part of your body. Kegels are the most common exercise people choose for strengthening their pelvic floors, and you can easily build this exercise into your routine. Kegels are done by contracting the muscle you use to control the stream of your urine while you're in the restroom. We recommend starting with 20 repetitions every day for as long as you can contract the muscle. However, if you would like to increase the amount of exercise this area gets, you may want to consult a medical provider and get their recommendations. Just like any other muscle in your body, it's possible to overwork your pelvic floor, and it's essential to avoid doing so.

If you deal with incontinence, you may need to do a little more preparatory work than the average person when you plan on heading out for the day. However, your incontinence doesn't have to make you afraid of leaving your home for long periods of time. We hope that our suggestions gave you the confidence you needed to head out of the house and enjoy the day in front of you.