Why Working From Home Might Be Exacerbating Your Urinary Urgency and Stress Incontinence

I can just imagine the joking conversations amongst friends now. How the best part of Coronavirus quarantine is that no one has to worry about getting up frequently to go to the bathroom at work. I am sure there are many extra trips being made to empty bladders "just in case!"  Leaking is also less of a worry when we are home instead of out and about. But, are you aiding and abetting a faulty pattern? What happens when we slowly return to life and need to manage away from a bathroom for more than an hour?

Signs of Bathroom Overuse...

• Are you heading to the bathroom more than 6-8 x/day? 
• Is your strong urine flow less than 10 seconds consistently?
• Do you run to the bathroom just because you are heading outside to take a walk or play with your kids? 

Who Cares If You Are Overusing The Bathroom During Social Distancing?

Training your bladder to empty all of the time can be counter productive to what you are trying to avoid... Accidentally peeing. Compensating for dysfunction may be inadvertently promoting more dysfunction. By emptying your bladder when it is not full, you are training it to think it is full. This means, that when it is time to return to out of the house living, you will likely be more likely to need the bathroom on a regular basis... This is exactly what you don't want when you are out and about during a pandemic!

How Does Fluid Intake Impact Bladder Health Anyways?

We all know we are supposed to drink water, but, when you leak or experience urinary urgency, it is easy to cut down on water intake in an effort to compensate for the frequent desire to urinate. This can lead to bladder irritation  and an increased desire to pee. It can also lead to constipation. When your bowels are backed up, your belly feels full and you may misread this fullness and think your bladder is full when it is not.  Dehydration can also lead to UTI's.  Lastly, muscles need water to function well. If you have a tendency towards pelvic pain, a chronic state of dehydration may only be making things worse.
TIP 1: Drink water slowly! The tendency is to be so busy that we forget to drink. When we think of it we guzzle water your body is less able to  absorb water and we tend to expel it more rapidly. 

TIP 2: If your one of those gals who does ok all day and at bedtime, suddenly feel a frequent urge to head to the bathroom, try the above mentioned sipping of water for 2-3 hours before bed. Also, try some relaxation breathing to relax your pelvic floor muscles before heading to bed. 

Want to learn more and see if you might be a good fit for virtual PT and coaching to reduce your symptoms of urgency and leaking don't wait! Call today to set up your complimentary Discovery Call! Mention this blog for 20% off your first session!

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