Although this may seem silly to women who don’t have urinary incontinence,it is nevertheless true.
According to a landmark study conducted by the National Association for Continence (NAFC) the fear of soiling a friend’s furniture with urine leakage ranks as one of the top fears for women with urinary incontinence.
Here are the top fears of women who have urinary incontinence:
– 78% of women surveyed said that one of their greatest sources of potential embarrassment would be leaking urine on a friend’s upholstered furniture
– 78% said they feared that they smelled like urine
– 76% were afraid that other people would know they had urinary incontinence
Is it any wonder that women with urinary incontinence become more and more isolated? Is it any surprise that these women cut off social contact and refuse to venture out?
More importantly, do these fears resonate with you?
What to Do If You are Afraid to Sit on a Friend’s Couch
If you are one of the women who share the fears listed above, here are some tips to help you feel safer about sitting on your friend’s couch. If you haven’t already, you need to seek help from a qualified health professional to get a correct diagnosis and explore your treatment options. In addition, here are some conservative steps you can take on your own to prevent urine leakage while sitting on your friend’s couch.
1. Avoid Bladder Irritant Food and Drinks
Although your friend is likely to offer you everything from coffee to wine during a social visit, both of these are bladder irritants, and are likely to increase your chances of a urine leakage accident. Stay away from acidic food and drinks, as well as caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. Ask for plain water or herbal tea instead. Learn more about the food and drink to avoid here.
2. Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles
Doing exercises like Kegels, which are pelvic floor muscle contractions, can strengthen your pelvic floor and prevent leakage accidents. If you are not sure how to do a Kegel (or are not sure you are doing Kegels correctly), download our ebook for some quick instructions.
Start by doing Kegels at home. Once you are proficient at doing them, take then on the road with you. Practice Kegels while waiting in line at a fast food joint or while idling in your car at a stoplight. More importantly, if you feel a urine leakage accident about to happen, do a couple of quick Kegels. This often buys you some time so you can make it to the bathroom before the accident.
3. Limit Fluid Intake and Practice Bladder Training
If you know you are going to visiting with friends, limit your fluid intake before you leave your house. You might need to experiment with this to find out how long before you leave the house you need to decrease fluid intake. Don’t stop drinking fluids altogether, as this can actual worsen urinary incontinence symptoms, but do learn your body’s reaction to fluids so you can time your fluid intake correctly.
Also, you can practice bladder training, starting at home. When you feel the urge to urinate, hold off visiting the bathroom for a few minutes. Work you way up to a 10 minute delay. This bladder delay technique will serve you well if you are visiting friends and feel the sudden urge to urinate.
Stay Social to Avoid Isolation and Depression
The whole point here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to sit on your friend’s couch, even if you do suffer from symptoms of urinary incontinence. With a little planning and some practice at home, you should be able visit all of your friends. In fact, it is important to stay socially connected with your friends and family.
Women with urinary incontinence typically decrease their social connections over time, and begin isolating themselves. This can often lead to depression, weight gain, and worsening urine leakage … it’s a vicious cycle. Staying socially and physically active are major factors in helping you keep your urinary incontinence symptoms at bay.
If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to leave a comment, contact us, download our ebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Photo credit: Free Digital Photos