What to do
The first important thing to do to maintain proper urinary well-being includes lifestyle and behavior changes, as well as pelvic floor strength and bladder training.
Pelvic floor muscle training consists of strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor and contracting them as an isolated group to inhibit detrusor contractions.
The most common and effective method of pelvic floor muscle training is Kegel exercises, especially in the post-partum period. Pilates is also effective and often suggested in the elderly.
Maintaining urinary tract health involves nutrition and lifestyle interventions also.
How to preserve and support urinary well-being
The first important thing to do to maintain proper urinary well-being includes lifestyle and behavior changes, as well as pelvic floor strength and bladder training.
Pelvic floor muscle training consists of strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor and contracting them as an isolated group to inhibit detrusor contractions.
What to do
The most common and effective method of pelvic floor muscle training is Kegel exercises, especially in the post-partum period. Pilates is also effective and often suggested in the elderly.
Post-partum period
During pregnancy, women need to urinate often, and this becomes almost a normal condition that, in some cases, can even be exacerbated in the post-partum period by anxieties and fears, for example regarding not being able to cope with the baby. It is important to alleviate this problem, not least so you can resume your usual habits or go back to work.
What to do?
Contact your doctor, who will be able to suggest specific pelvic floor strengthening exercises, like Kegel exercises.
Some food supplements contain substances able to support normal urinary tract function; however, although they do not require a doctor’s prescription, in the post-partum situation different factors must be taken into consideration, so it is always advisable to seek a doctor’s advice.
Weight gain after pregnancy
Pregnancy involves weight gain, which must, however, always be kept under control. After the birth, it is important to lose any excess weight, not least because it can exacerbate urinary tract disorders.
How?
The best solution is to consult a nutritionist and avoid homemade diets.
It is established that obesity reduces fertility and in pregnancy increases the risk of adverse maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes, but it is less well appreciated that pregnancy per se is a major contributor to the development of obesity, through the retention of weight gained during pregnancy.
Some guidelines for weight management after pregnancy recommend breastfeeding as a strategy for promoting weight loss, and in order to reduce postpartum weight, they also suggest short, intensive interventions including diet or diet and physical activity, starting from the postpartum period.
Urinary leakages in menopause
The menopause often arouses anxieties and fears; however, it has been seen that most disorders can be avoided or reduced. Consulting your gynaecologist is the first step.
One of the most important tips for avoiding urinary leakages, which is frequent during the menopause, is to do exercises to tone the pelvic floor muscles. Some women, however, do not have the willpower to do the exercises at home.
What to do?
The pelvic floor muscles should be strengthened even without signs of urinary impairments, and for women who do not enjoy exercising at home, it is advisable to go to a gym to do pilates, a practice that also benefits the pelvic floor.
Food supplements containing substances able to support normal urinary tract function can also be useful; ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.
After urinary tract or reproductive system surgery
Various disorders, including constipation and urinary leakages can occur, for example, after urinary tract or reproductive system surgery, especially amongst subjects who are obese or have an unhealthy lifestyle.
What to do?
The factors on which to act include diet, which is useful both for keeping fit and reducing constipation, giving up smoking, reducing your alcohol intake and exercising, at the gym or home, choosing exercises that also benefit the pelvic floor, such as Kegel exercises or pilates.
You may find it useful to ask your pharmacist, who will be able to recommend a food supplement containing substances able to support normal urinary tract function.