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Urinary incontinence, or the uncontrolled leaking of urine, is a relatively common problem among older adults, but it can affect people in other age groups as well.
Incontinence is not always a permanent problem. Pregnancy, delirium, infection, vaginal irritation,
depression, and psychosis can all cause some form of incontinence. Certain medications can be responsible
for incontinence, among them diuretics such as furosemide "Lasix"; antidepressants such as amitriptyline
"Elavil" and desipramine "Norpramin"; antipsychotics such as thioridazine
"Mellarii" and haloperidol "Haldol"; sedatives such as diazepam
"Valium" and flurazepam "Dalmane"; and many blood-pressure drugs, decongestants, antihistamines, and others. Alcohol also can affect incontinence.
The most common cause of incontinence in elderly people is a condition called detrusor
overactivity, in which the detrusor muscle, which surrounds the
bladder, contracts without warning, resulting in urge incontinence.
Often, no underlying cause can be found for this problem. However,
tumors, bladder stones, or some other obstruction of the urinary tract
can be involved in some cases. Routine urinalysis and a urine culture
are usually performed to check for irritating infections or abnormal
kidney function.
|
Nutrient /
Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful notes |
| Cleansing |
10 |
helps clear out toxins and heavy
metals in the digestive system which can be a factor in
incontinence, weight, and appetite problems. This will help
the kidneys, liver, colon, and intestines. |
| Essential
Fatty acids |
10 |
Fatty acids are found in
omega fatty acids from fish
oil, flax seed oil, and borage seed oil. They are required for
good health and may also be used in a "low fat" diet to make sure you are getting
the essential fatty acids which are needed by every cell in your
body. |
| Multi-vitamin
and Mineral supplement |
10 |
contains vitamin E, vitamin B ,
vitamin C,
magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc which all are helpful in
both the treatment and prevention of incontinence and obesity. A daily supplement will provide nutrients required
for good
general health and well being.
Will also help with tiredness and fatigue. |
| Bioflavonoids |
9 |
bioflavonoids are needed for
normal glandular function and they also help speed up a slow
metabolism thus allowing calories to be burned up faster. |
| Carotenoids |
8 |
Generally, a carotenoid
mixture combined with a complete multi-vitamin with good mineral content is needed for balanced
nutrition. Poor diet is the normal cause of deficiency in
carotenoids as people eat less good quality fruits and vegetables. |
| vitamin C |
8 |
required for general health and normal glandular
operation. It works well in combination with the Bioflavonoids |
There are 4 types of urinary incontinence:
1. Overflow incontinence. In persons with overflow incontinence, the bladder is distended, so no additional urine can enter without some dribbling out. Chronic retention of urine can lead to this problem. It is most common in older adults and in men with enlarged
prostates, which restricts the outflow of urine.
2. Urge incontinence. Urge incontinence involves inflammation of the bladder or neurological problems that can cause sudden, uncontrollable urges to void, leaving no time to make it to the bathroom.
3. Stress incontinence. In this condition, coughing, lifting, sneezing, or anything else that increases pressure within the abdomen forces urine to leak. This is far more common in women than in men, especially women who have had many children, which stretches the muscles of the pelvic floor, or who have had surgery in the pelvic region.
4. Total incontinence. This condition is characterized by a more or less steady loss of small amounts of urine, regardless of body position. Possible causes include damage to the urinary sphincter as a result of an anatomical abnormality or injury from childbirth or surgery; nerve damage; infiltrating tumors; and the presence of fistulas, or abnormal passages, through which the urine exits the body, bypassing the urethra.
An anatomical abnormality such as a fistula, urine retention, or a bladder neck that has shifted, can be detected by a
cystogram, in which a fluid that is visible on x-ray is introduced into the bladder by means of a catheter, and x-ray photographs are taken both while you are at rest and while you are straining. Ultrasound may be useful. A procedure called cystometry may be used to look for nerve damage, drug reactions, inflammation, and other problems. In this technique, carbon dioxide gas or water is put into the bladder and pressures are noted in the presence of different stimuli, such as certain drugs, straining, and so on.
Much less common than urinary incontinence is fecal incontinence. A variety of problems, including nerve damage; diarrhea; local surgery; pressure from an enlarged prostate, tumors, or fecal impaction; and anal tears from childbirth trauma can permit unintended loss of stool.
Other risk factors for Incontinence are:
Alcoholism
Obesity
Kidney disease
Stress
Yeast and vaginal infection
Other Changes To Make
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drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
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eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
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nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
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juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
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do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
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carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
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a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
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do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
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do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
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use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
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brown rice is good to eat
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avoid red meat and animal fats
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reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
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fast a few days a month
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get at least 8 hours of sleep
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exercise light to moderate amounts
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avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
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do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
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do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
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do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
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do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
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