Incontinence in the Fall

September 04, 2018

Incontinence in the Fall

Those hot summer days are behind us and fall is finally here! As shorter days and declining temperatures approach us, listening to your body becomes more important.  

We all know to be cautious of cold & flu symptoms, allergies, etc..  But boosting your immune system during fall months can help increase your chances of fighting off illness. 

Did you know there are even best practices to help with managing incontinence in the fall?

Cold diuresis is something people who suffer from incontinence should be educated on.  Here is some information directly from Wikipedia on Diuresis:

“Cold-induced diuresis, or cold diuresis, is a phenomenon that occurs in humans after exposure to a hypothermic environment, usually during mild to moderate hypothermia.  It is currently thought to be caused by the redirection of blood from the extremities to the core due to peripheral vasoconstriction, which increases the fluid volume in the core.  Overall, acute exposure to cold is thought to induce a diuretic response due to an increase mean arterial pressure. The arterial cells of the kidneys sense the increase in blood pressure and signal the kidneys to excrete superfluous fluid in an attempt to stabilize the pressure.  The kidneys increase urine production and fill the bladder; when the bladder fills, the individual may then feel the urge to urinate. This phenomenon usually occurs after mental function has decreased to a level significantly below normal. Cold diuresis has been observed in cases of accidental hypothermia as well as a side effect of therapeutic hypothermia, specifically during the induction phase.”

We also have a past blog you can read about incontinence in the winter.

HERE ARE A COUPLE PRECAUTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO HELP LIVE WITH INCONTINENCE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS:

• DRINK WATER - THE IDEA OF DRINKING WATER TO REDUCE INCONTINENCE SOUNDS CRAZY BUT IT’S ACTUALLY NOT! STAYING HYDRATED PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOUR BLADDER.
• EMPTY YOUR BLADDER: SOUNDS PRETTY REASONABLE RIGHT? MOST PEOPLE DON'T REMEMBER TO USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE! THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THE WINTER AS SYMPTOMS OF URINARY INCONTINENCE COMES WITHOUT WARNING.
• AVOID DIURETICS - WE ALL KNOW HOW NICE THAT WARM CUP OF COFFEE AND HOT CHOCOLATE CAN BE WHEN IT’S COLD OUTSIDE. THE TYPES OF FLUID YOU DRINK, CAN AND WILL WORSEN INCONTINENCE EPISODES.  TRY DRINKING A HOT DECAFFEINATED TEA WHEN YOU ARE CRAVING A WARM BEVERAGE.
• KEEP WARM - WHEN YOU ARE EXPOSED TO THE COLD FOR TOO LONG, BLADDER MUSCLES WILL TENSE UP AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE LOSS OF BLADDER CONTROL. KEEPING WARM WILL HELP TO RELAX THE BLADDER MUSCLES AND LESSEN THE EFFECTS OF INCONTINENCE IN THE WINTER.

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