If you are living with bladder leaks, you’re probably wondering, “How do I take care of this problem? I want it to stop!” The good news is there are some things you can try at home. (You’ve heard of Kegel exercises but keep reading for more at-home help with bladder leaks.)

At Pelvital, we’ve introduced Flyte, a non-surgical, use-at-home option that strengthens the pelvic floor muscles to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). As a first-line treatment, Flyte may help women treat SUI at home and avoid more expensive or inconvenient alternatives.

According to the Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, many women find the following steps help reduce leaks, depending on what’s causing the incontinence. If you’re not sure what type of incontinence you have, it’s a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional to help with bladder leaks. A medical professional can give you a diagnosis and discuss treatment options.

Doing Kegel exercises

If you have stress incontinence, Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles may help. Some women have urinary symptoms because the pelvic floor muscles are always tightened. In this situation, Kegel exercises will not help your urinary symptoms and may cause more problems. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your urinary symptoms before doing Kegel exercises.

Training your bladder

You can help control overactive bladder or urge incontinence by going to the bathroom at set times. Start by tracking how often you go to the bathroom each day in a bladder diary. Then slowly add about 15 minutes between bathroom visits. Urinate each time, even if you do not feel the urge to go. By gradually increasing the amount of time between visits, your bladder learns to hold more urine before it signals the need to go again.

Changing your eating habits

Drinks with caffeine, carbonation (such as sodas), or alcohol may make bladder leakage or urinary incontinence worse. Your doctor might suggest that you stop drinking these drinks for a while to see if that helps.

Quitting smoking

Smoking can make many health problems, including urinary incontinence, worse.

Treating constipation

Your doctor might recommend that you eat more fiber, since constipation can make urinary incontinence worse. Eating foods with lots of fiber can make you less constipated.

Source: At-home steps content reproduced courtesy The Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, womenshealth.gov, January 31, 2019. Accessed at womenshealth.gov on June 12, 2020.