In recent years, the number of elderly people who suffer from incontinence is increasing. But, this is not a thing for which you should say is normal and to live with it. There are many different treatments for incontinence in elderly, no matter the cause. Some elderly people can experience a complete lack of both bladder and bowel control. Others may leak urine occasionally. Some people may constantly dribble urine.

There are many different causes that can lead to incontinence, such as diabetes, childbirth, obesity, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc. There are different types of incontinence in the elderly, such as overflow incontinence, stress incontinence, total incontinence, urge incontinence, functional incontinence, and mixed incontinence. If you have an older adult who suffers from incontinence, but he or she feels embarrassed to go to a doctor, you should talk with him or her and explain that it is something normal and a doctor’s visit can help them a lot.
The incontinence in the elderly can happen in both men and women. In one study is said that one out of two women older than 65 experience bladder leakage sometimes. You need to talk with your doctor if you suffer from incontinence, so you will be sure that the home remedy you use is good for your health.
Here are some natural treatments for incontinence in the elderly:
Contents
- 1 Here are some natural treatments for incontinence in the elderly:
- 1.1 Cut out caffeine:
- 1.2 Acupuncture:
- 1.3 Quit smoking:
- 1.4 Magnesium:
- 1.5 Train your bladder:
- 1.6 Pelvic floor exercises:
- 1.7 Fluid and diet management:
- 1.8 Maintaining a healthy weight:
- 1.9 Pumpkin seed extract:
- 1.10 Exercise:
- 1.11 Corn silk:
- 1.12 Vitamin D:
- 1.13 Cleavers:
- 1.14 Buchu:
- 1.15 Horsetail:
- 1.16 Saw palmetto:
Cut out caffeine:
For some people, it may sound drastic and unappealing to cut out their morning coffee, but it is known that caffeine can excite the brain. Caffeine excites the front of the brain, and because it is a part that controls the bladder, some experts may think that caffeine has the ability to excite the bladder too. Also, coffee is known as a diuretic. When you restrict your caffeine intake or you cut it out completely, then it can have a huge impact on your incontinence.
Acupuncture:
It is believed that acupuncture can help people who suffer from incontinence or overactive bladder. It is a great therapy that can help people to have a balance in their bodies. People, who have used acupuncture as their natural treatment for incontinence, have said that noted a vast improvement in their condition after a course of treatment.
Quit smoking:
We know that there are a lot of reasons why smoking is bad for our health. Also, it is known that nicotine can irritate the bladder. One Greek study was shown that smokers were more likely to suffer from incontinence compared to people who do not smoke.
Long–term smokers tend to cough more than non – smokers, placing the bladder and pelvic floor muscles under stress. As a result of this, urinary stress incontinence was common with many people needing incontinence products to help them manage the issue.
Magnesium:
This is one of the most important minerals for proper muscle and nerve function. One small study done in Israel was shown that women who took magnesium hydroxide pills two times per day had improvement in their incontinence. But, before you start taking magnesium supplements, you need to talk with your doctor if they are suitable.
But, you should know that the best way of increasing the magnesium content in your body is through food. Some of the foods that are high in magnesium are spinach, bananas, and oily fish like salmon and mackerel. Usually, the recommended amount of magnesium is 400 mg per day.
Train your bladder:
It may sound simple for you, but training your bladder needs some patience. Also, incontinence products can be helpful when you are retraining your bladder too. But, you should always ask for advice from a health professional before you start on a bladder retraining regime. The key to training your bladder is to learn how to put off the need or urgency to visit the bathroom. At the start of training your bladder, you should try and delay a bathroom visit for ten minutes and gradually increase the time to twenty minutes.
Experts are suggesting to aim to visit the bathroom every four hours. You should keep a diary of how many times you visit the toilet. This can give you a lot of information, as well as your doctor or specialist incontinence nurse. In some cases, it is not recommended to hold your urine, such as when you suffer from different health problems and conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, because it is simply not possible.
Pelvic floor exercises:
The flow of urine from your bladder (it is more important when the urine is released) is controlled by a set of muscles that run from the front of the body by the pubic bone to the base of the spine. But, like other muscles in the body, they are sling-like and can become weakened. For example, childbirth can damage or stretch the muscle leading to temporary incontinence after birth.
The muscles are the same in both men and women. Also, exercises can be used by anyone who suffers from incontinence. The clench and release exercises can be made several times per day and this can be very helpful in bladder control. Also, at the same time, no one will know that you are doing them and there are no expensive gym fees to pay or specialist equipment needed.
Fluid and diet management:
The diet alone cannot be a cure for incontinence, but it can help to improve bladder control. Some beverages, like alcohol and carbonated drinks, can cause your bladder stress. Also, when you drink tea or coffee while you are taking prescribed medications, it can aggravate your symptoms. Also, there are other bladder irritants which you should avoid, such as very spicy foods, soda, honey, tea, and milk.
Maintaining a healthy weight:
It is very important to have a normal weight because the excess weight can put pressure on your bladder and pelvic muscles. When you stay healthy with a healthy weight range, then it can help you with bladder control.
Pumpkin seed extract:
Many studies are shown that the pumpkin seed extract is beneficial for incontinence in elderly people and nighttime urination.
Exercise:
When you are making vigorous exercises, then it can have a detrimental impact on the incontinence, which will put pressure on your pelvic floor and this can increase the leakage. You should try swapping high-impact exercises for ones similar to Pilates. It is a gentle method of stretching and strengthening the core and it is becoming much more popular and effective for stress-related incontinence. You should add daily pelvic exercises to your daily routine. They can be simple as sitting comfortably and squeezing your pelvic muscles ten to fifteen times in a row.
Corn silk:
This is a home remedy which is used for centuries for many different conditions, such as nighttime incontinence and bladder irritation.
Vitamin D:
One study done in 2010 was shown that higher Vitamin D levels are associated with a lower risk of pelvic floor disorders, such as bladder leaking in women. In another study was said that there is a link between low Vitamin D levels and episodes of bladder leaking in older adults.
Cleavers:
Cleavers have small and sticky hooks on the leaves. So, this herb is usually brewed into tea to treat urinary tract infections. There are not enough studies for incontinence in the elderly and cleavers, but many people believe that it can help to soothe the bladder.
Buchu:
This plant is found in the mountains of South Africa. It is a flowering plant, which has been used as a medicine since the 1650s. It has been used as a home remedy for many different conditions, such as coughs, kidney infections, stomachaches, and even incontinence.
Horsetail:
This plant has its name for its long, tail-like appearance. It grows in rivers, marshes, and swamps. It is a member of the fern family. It has high amounts of antioxidants, which can help to be protected against stress that comes with aging. As time passes, the bladder tissue can become unhealthy and fibrous. Horsetail can help to slow or reverse this process, but there need to be done a lot more studies to tell that it is helpful with incontinence in the elderly.
Saw palmetto:
Many people in Europe use this extract, which is made from the berries of the dwarf palm tree, to treat problems that are caused by an enlarged prostate. In some studies are saying that it can help with the treatment of incontinence in the elderly as well as the overactive bladder, but need to be done a lot more studies to approve or disapprove of this.
References:
- What leads to urinary incontinence in the elderly? https://www.tena.co.uk/familycarer/incontinence-and-related-issues/what-is-incontinence/what-leads-to-urinary-incontinence-in-the-elderly .
- Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults. https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/fulltext/2020/01000/urinary_incontinence_in_older_adults.25.aspx .
- Managing urinary incontinence in older people. https://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c3835 . Published August 9, 2010
- Urinary Incontinence in the Elderly: An Overlooked and Under – Treated Problem. https://www.longdom.org/open-access/urinary-incontinence-in-the-elderly-an-overlooked-and-undertreated-problem-54484.html .