How You Can Cope with Incontinence at Work Before You Retire
I know firsthand that urinary incontinence can take a toll on your career, especially when you’re in a position of leadership. Before I retired, I began to struggle with incontinence, and found that although no one in my Chicago office was aware of my problem, they did start to look at me differently, and I felt that as my dignity began to travel down the drain, my career was going to go with it. I didn’t let incontinence ruin my life, instead, I implemented some simple tips to help me manage the problem at work which are listed below, and would recommend anyone experiencing the same struggles in older adulthood but prior to retirement to do the same!
1. Get the right pads – menstrual pads are not designed the same as pads for incontinence, get some good quality absorbent pads that can also help to control odor. These will come in handy during a long, important meeting when you can’t escape to the bathroom
2. Practice odor prevention – some incontinence products release a pleasant odor when in contact with fluid, or you can buy sprays to help control the effects of incontinence
3. Use a tampon – for women, tampons also put pressure on the urethra which can also help to control leaks that come with incontinence
4. Watch what you drink – despite the need to remain hydrated, during a long meeting, avoid drinking too much water or coffee, otherwise you’ll have a full bladder and might leak when you stand
5.Consider your wardrobe – choosing darker colored suits for the office will help to mask the presence of fluid
6. Do kegels – to strengthen bladder muscles, regularly contract the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine
7. Train your bladder – try to slowly increase the time between bathroom visits until you can go between 3-4 hours between trips
8. Use a pessary – most common to help bladder weakness after pregnancy, a pessary can help to control incontinence
9. Use deep breathing – when you feel the urge to go, practice deep breathing for 5 minutes until the need passes.
10. Tighten the pelvic muscles – when you’re going to laugh or cough, tighten the pelvic muscles to prevent leakage
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