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Urge incontinence occurs when a person has an intense, sudden need to urinate immediately. While most people can hold more than two cups of urine in the bladder, people who have urge incontinence or an overactive bladder (OAB) cannot.
The question is – how does this condition affect a person’s productivity? And if it negatively impacts productivity, how can an individual cope?
In a cross-sectional, internet-based survey conducted among American men and women aged 18-70, it was found that OAB impairs work at levels comparable to other severe chronic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
Image Source: Impact of Overactive Bladder on Work Productivity
In a recent study of 2,907 female Australian nurses and midwives with urinary incontinence prevalence of 32% (95% CI: 30-34%), 40.5% had moderate and 4.4% severe or very severe symptoms (Pierce et al., 2017). Of concern, those with severe or very severe UI were more likely to intend to leave their current job than those with slight or moderate symptoms, after accounting for age, health (back pain, anxiety, depression), and work factors (shift work and job
Symptoms of OAB had a negative impact on working life in a multi-national population study of 11,521 people aged 40 to 64 years from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United
Kingdom (UK), with 21% worried about interruption of meetings with frequent trips to the toilet, and 3% changing their job or being fired (Irwin et al., 2005).
These studies show that urinary incontinence does affect productivity at work. Worst of all, some people who suffer from it end up unemployed.
Some people opt for surgery upon the recommendation of their doctors. However, others choose to resolve their bladder issues naturally. If you fit this bill, read on.
Managing your incontinence will help increase your productivity by minimizing your trips to the bathroom and avoiding leakages. Below are some tips to help you out.
Yes, you can train your bladder. It starts with monitoring your trips to the bathroom for at least two days. How long are the intervals between your bathroom trips? If it’s an average of thirty minutes in between, try to hold your urine for 15 minutes more than usual.
When you feel the urge during the first few days, tell yourself that your bladder isn’t full yet. Try to hold your urine longer. How can you do that? You can try the next method, strengthening the pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor is made up of a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock from the pubic bone at the front to the coccyx (tailbone) at the back. To strengthen it, you need to do some exercises.
A pelvic floor muscle training exercise is similar to pretending to urinate and then holding it.
You alternately relax and tense the muscles that control urine flow. However, it is important to target the correct muscles for tightening. Here’s how to find them.
Eating pears, bananas, nuts, potatoes, and other bladder-friendly foods can make your bladder healthier. Having a healthy bladder, after all, can minimize the chances of urge incontinence. However, you should avoid foods and beverages that irritate the bladder like citrus fruits, tomatoes, and tomato-based products, and coffee, among others.
Drinking more water has multiple benefits, one of which is minimizing leakages. It’s because by keeping yourself hydrated, your bladder won’t be irritated, reducing the chances of leakages. Additionally, drinking sufficient amounts of water can help you think better, thus increasing your productivity.
Admittedly, the techniques mentioned above will take time. While you’re working on training your bladder or strengthening your pelvic muscles, you can try using ActivGo. It’s the world’s first multiple-use, and washing system integrated external urinary catheter for incontinence management. With it, you can avoid frequent bathroom trips that can hamper your productivity at work and prevent leakages that can cause embarrassment.