A healthy bladder is able to accumulate and retain about 300-500 ml of urine, but when an inflammatory process or chronic diseases occur, the process of urination becomes uncontrolled. This causes a lot of problems to the patient. Negative processes occur in the body that relate to both the physical and psychological health of a person.
More often, women complain of symptoms of urinary incontinence. Mostly, elderly patients suffer from this, but the development of pathology is not excluded in women of a younger age. Men are less likely to complain of problems with urination. This is usually associated with low muscle tone of the intimate area or prostate adenoma.
Urinary incontinence
Treatment of bladder weakness should begin only after determining the causes of the pathology. It is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination by a urologist and pass all the necessary tests. This is a very delicate problem that not everyone can tell about, even to a doctor, and even more so to take measures to eliminate it. But still you need to know how to strengthen a weak bladder.
Based on the results of the tests, and after taking the anamnesis, the doctor will be able to determine why the patient has difficulty urinating and will recommend effective methods to strengthen the sphincter of the bladder. Special exercises are usually recommended, in some cases, drug therapy helps, and with mild incontinence, it is enough to adhere to general recommendations.
The main symptom of muscle weakness in the bladder is frequent urge to the toilet, which can result in spontaneous urine output. The physiology of the bladder allows the body to accumulate a certain amount of fluid. After filling, receptors localized in the walls of the bladder give a signal to the nervous system and the person has the urge to urinate. Emptying occurs after muscle contraction of the walls and sphincter. If the muscles of the organ or sphincter are weakened, then the necessary signals do not enter the brain, as a result of which the urine is released involuntarily.
Types of incontinence
Urologists distinguish three types of incontinence: stressful, urgent and mixed. The stress type is characterized by the involuntary release of urine during sneezing, coughing, weight lifting, while increasing intra-abdominal pressure. The symptom is more often manifested in women, because their muscles are naturally weaker. Often involuntary urination is a consequence of severe or multiple births, gynecological operations, and damage to the perineal muscles.
The urgent type is characterized by the appearance of very strong urination, which are not always amenable to control. In women, this is caused by a decrease in estrogen levels and changes in the mucosa (for example, in the menopause). With a mixed type of incontinence, symptoms of both stress and urgent types appear.
For older people, changes in the cerebral cortex are characteristic, which can also provoke incontinence. A significant role is played in the formation of pathology by diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, stroke and some other diseases.
Diagnosis of the pathology includes examination by a gynecologist (for women), a urologist, an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder, a study of smears taken from the urethra. This is necessary to exclude infectious and inflammatory processes, as well as other pathologies of these organs. After determining the diagnosis, appropriate therapy is prescribed.
Causes of incontinence
How to strengthen the bladder in women? It depends on the reasons that caused the pathology. Muscle weakness can occur after the birth of several children or complex births, with cystitis, severe stress, during menopause and hormonal changes in the body.
During pregnancy, incontinence may occur due to the rapid increase in fetal mass, extension and increase of the genital organ, mechanical pressure on the bladder, active progesterone synthesis (this hormone relaxes tissues, weakening the walls of the bladder). The reason may be a child’s activity or rapid weight gain. Significantly weakens the muscles of the pelvic floor such a factor as multiple pregnancy.
In old age, incontinence appears in 80% of patients. Organs change with the onset of old age, and at the age of 45-60, a gradual extinction of reproductive function occurs, which also negatively affects muscle tone. All this leads to a loss of ability to retain a normal amount of urine.
The causes and treatment of urinary incontinence in men are also interrelated. If the pathology is caused by urolithiasis, it is first necessary to cure the underlying disease. This usually eliminates such an unpleasant symptom as urinary incontinence. Pathology can be caused by stress, prostatitis, regular difficulties with emptying, the presence of tumors in the prostate gland, infection and the development of the inflammatory process in the urethra.
Kegel exercises
How do women strengthen their bladder? Medical practice shows that regular exercise of the Kegel system can significantly strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. It is recommended to produce slow compression of the perineal muscles, alternating rapid contractions and expulsion. The most effective exercises to strengthen the bladder for pregnant women (as a prophylaxis) and after complex births. For mild incontinence, the technique is recommended for patients of both sexes.
Performing slow compression, you need to linger in a state of tension from 3 to 20 seconds, and then relax. How to strengthen the bladder? The first time the exercises do not help, the load should be increased gradually.
The following effective, but sufficient complex exercise allows you to quickly strengthen the muscles: with little effort, tighten the muscles and stay in this position for 3 seconds, relax, tighten for 10 seconds, relax, tighten the muscles for 15 seconds. After this exercise, you need to take a short break before the next.
Starting position for successive contractions: lying on your stomach, bending your leg at the knee. Muscle contraction in turn, after you need to change your legs. Ejections are performed to engage muscles that tighten when urinating. It should take emphasis on knees and elbows, spread legs and lean your head on your hands, relax. Tighten the muscles in an upward and inward direction. Then you need to lie on your back and knees apart. Put your hands under your buttocks. The pelvis should be raised up and held in this position for 10 seconds.
Drug therapy
Which medicine to strengthen the bladder the doctor recommends depends on the specific diagnosis. Usually prescribed "Imipramine" or "Midodrin." Pills help if stress is the cause of the symptoms. However, it must be remembered that the uncontrolled use of medications can lead to negative consequences, in addition, any synthetic medicine has side effects.
Imipramine
Imipramine is an antidepressant with a strong sedative effect, which is indicated for urinary incontinence. Efficiency is due to the activity of the drug, causing an increased ability of the bladder to stretch, the tone of the sphincter. The persistent antidepressant effect of the drug develops within two to three weeks after the start of administration.
Midodrin
To strengthen the bladder in elderly women, Midodrin is actively prescribed. The drug has a vasoconstrictor effect, which helps to increase blood pressure, therefore, for some groups of patients should be prescribed with caution. The effect of the drug is manifested much more slowly than close analogues.
"Ephedrine"
In case of urinary incontinence, the doctor may recommend Ephedrine tablets. The drug has an effect on the body about 60 minutes after administration. The drug, which is also available as an injection, can cause a number of side effects (headache, dizziness, redness of the face, weakness, tremor). In this case, the effect on the body "Ephedrine" in tablets should be reduced by reducing the dosage. With caution, the medicine should be used by patients who suffer from diabetes mellitus, hypoxia, atherosclerosis.
During pregnancy and menopause
Uncontrolled urination in women during menopause requires hormone replacement therapy and taking relaxing drugs. If this is precisely the lack of certain sex hormones, then taking synthetic products helps. But the reason may be hiding in the presence of polyps or a chronic infectious process, then other medications are recommended.
During pregnancy, treatment of incontinence with synthetic drugs is prescribed only in extreme cases. In this case, herbal medicines are selected that will not have a negative effect on the fetus. Antispasmodics and decoctions of herbs and herbal preparations are usually recommended.
In men, the causes and treatment of urinary incontinence are determined by a urologist. With urolithiasis or prostatitis, appropriate medications are prescribed. After a period of exacerbation of pathology, incontinence usually also disappears.
Folk methods
Strengthening the bladder with folk remedies is no less effective than drug treatment. The most famous and effective methods are ingestion of chicory and sage broths (in equal proportions), wormwood and rue. Herbs need to be brewed in a thermos for the night, in the morning the infusion will be ready for use. It is recommended to take a decoction of sage and chicory 150 ml four times a day, 30 minutes before a meal. The course of treatment is three months. Mouth and wormwood should be taken in a quarter cup twice a day for a week, then you need to take a break for two days and repeat the course again.
How to strengthen the bladder? Quite effective recipes based on milk. In a glass of fresh milk you need to add half a teaspoon of baking soda. At the first symptoms of inflammation of the bladder (usually this happens in the cool season), you need to start drinking half a glass of milk mixed with a glass of water. If the causes of the pathology are hidden in the malfunction of the kidneys, milk should be consumed with walnuts and ripe persimmons.
It is also recommended to make warm foot baths with chamomile infusion every evening. Once a week you can visit the sauna, but you should abandon the shower or diving into the cool pool after the steam room. A decoction of dill seeds helped some patients. To prepare you need a tablespoon of the seeds of the plant pour a glass of boiling water, let it brew and drink in the morning.
General recommendations
How to strengthen the bladder? This question needs to be considered by older people and those who are at risk (pregnant women, mothers with many children, patients with gynecological diseases). It is advisable to exclude alcohol, highly carbonated drinks, strong tea and instant coffee. The comprehensive benefits of good nutrition have been proven, so you need to follow its basic principles.
You should give up smoking and observe the drinking regimen. At least two liters of clean water should be consumed per day. Problems with urination can provoke the appearance of extra pounds, so it is necessary to control weight and prevent obesity. Medical gymnastics is useful, and Kegel exercises for women are not only an excellent way to strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, but also increase libido, sexual pleasure.
Representatives of both sexes need to prevent constipation and from time to time cleanse the body with gentle methods (specific formulations or diet will be prompted by the attending physician). It is useful to drink herbal teas, and heavy objects should not be lifted. In the winter season, it is important not to supercool, it is necessary to observe the hygiene of the genitals in order to prevent the occurrence of inflammatory processes.
When urinating, you need to try to free the bladder from urine as much as possible. To do this, it’s enough to strain a little, and after that it’s important to relax for a few seconds and try again. This method is recommended to be practiced constantly.
How to strengthen the bladder? People who suffer from overactive bladder need to set their emptying regimen. For example, go to the toilet every two hours (even if there is no urge to urinate). This is a training procedure that will allow you to establish lost control over the body. If there are still no problems, then as a preventive measure, do not hold urine in the organ for a long time, but empty the bladder at the first urge.
Many patients postpone the solution to a delicate problem for a long time, using urological pads. But do not constantly inconvenience. Incontinence can be a symptom of a latent disease. If you do not start treatment on time, the consequences can be quite serious.