Reducing Your Risk of Urinary Incontinence

by Michael Jubinville, MPH

En Español (Spanish Version)

Urinary incontinence is often a symptom of other health problems. As such, it can't always be prevented. But, you can take steps to lower your risk of urinary problems by:

Drinking plenty of fluids each day. Urine should be a pale yellow if you're getting enough fluids.
Going to the bathroom at set times. Try to do this whether you need to go to the bathroom or not.
Not putting off trips to the bathroom. Go when you feel the urge.
Doing Kegel exercises to make the pelvic floor muscles stronger. Women can also do these during pregnancy and after giving birth.
Getting treated for health problems that contribute to incontinence.
Lifestyle changes such as:
- Losing excess weight or keeping it in a healthy range. This lowers pressure on the bladder.
- Quitting smoking. Smoking causes coughing, which puts more pressure on the bladder. Quitting will also lower the risk of bladder cancer.
- Taking steps to prevent constipation. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Exercising will also help.

REFERENCES:

Fecal and urinary incontinence in adults: clinical effectiveness to reduce the risk of urinary incontinence. National Library of Medicine website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed January 22, 2019.

Prevention of bladder control problems (urinary incontinence) & bladder health. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-control-problems/prevention. Updated June 2018. Accessed January 22, 2019.

Urinary incontinence in women. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T900573/Urinary-incontinence-in-women. Accessed November 14, 2018. Accessed January 22, 2019.

3/5/2013 DynaMed Plus Systematic Literature Surveillance. http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T900573/Urinary-incontinence-in-women: Boyle R, Hay-Smith EJ, Cody JD, Mørkved S. Pelvic floor muscle training for prevention and treatment of urinary and fecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(10):CD007471.

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Last reviewed December 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrienne Carmack, MD
Last Updated: 1/22/2019

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