3 Ways Alcohol and Incontinence are Connected

Alcohol and incontinence don't mix. But Elitone can help you treat this.

You can feel it coming. You’re out having a drink with friends, and as you sense a sneeze coming on, you instinctively clamp your thighs together, hoping to prevent urine leakage. And on your way to the nearest bathroom, you wonder if that margarita may be making your leaks worse. You’ve heard that alcohol and incontinence don’t mix, but what are the facts?

What causes incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a broad term that essentially refers to a lack of bladder control. But there are different types of incontinence, each with varying causes.

Stress urinary incontinence results from weak pelvic floor muscles, which control the urethra outlet. Childbirth, age, and injury can stretch or damage the pelvic floor muscles so they are too weak to stop urine flow. This means when you sneeze, cough, or exercise, the pressure put on the pelvic floor is too great and squeezes the bladder.
Urge urinary incontinence describes when you have a strong urge to urinate and cannot control the flow, resulting in accidents. This condition is caused by an overactive nervous system that tells the bladder to squeeze before you’re ready to urinate.
Mixed incontinence exists when you have both stress and urge urinary incontinence.

What’s the connection between alcohol and incontinence?

Even though alcohol does not directly cause urinary incontinence, it can exacerbate existing incontinence symptoms. Some links between alcohol and incontinence include:

Alcohol can act as a diuretic, which means that it stimulates urine production. If the bladder is weak, this increased urine flow results in more leaks.
Alcohol also acts as a depressant by subduing the area of your brain that tells your muscles to contract. Your pelvic floor consists of layers of muscles that support your bladder, and when these muscles don’t contract quickly, it’s more difficult to control urine flow.
Some alcohol produces sugars, which act as an irritant and inflame the bladder. This irritation can lead to urinary tract infections and increased urination.

Does alcohol affect men and women differently?

There are two reasons why men and women metabolize alcohol at different rates: water and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Generally, women’s bodies contain less water, which means alcohol doesn’t get diluted as quickly as it does in men’s bodies. Women also tend to have less alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.

Aging also decreases water content for both genders, so it takes less alcohol consumption to increase blood alcohol levels. As our blood alcohol levels rise, so does our need to urinate. And as mentioned, the sugars produced by some types of alcohol can irritate the bladder, increasing the risk of irritation and inflammation in both men and women.

How much is too much?

Drinking too much can have many other negative effects, such as weight gain, violence, drowning, alcohol poisoning, etc. But what is too much? From the CDC:

A standard drink = 1.2T of pure alcohol (found in 5oz of wine, 12oz of beer or 1.5oz of hard alcohol
“Excessive drinking” ≥ 4 standard drinks

How to prevent incontinence when drinking

If you’re prone to urinary incontinence, these are some steps you can take in order to minimize accidents.

Hydrating with water before you drink alcohol dilutes the alcohol sugars that can irritate your bladder.
Consume drinks with less alcohol content.
Avoid drinks with high sugar content, again reducing the sugars that can aggravate the bladder.
Avoid caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and increases urine production.
Empty your bladder right before bed to minimize the overnight stress on your bladder.

Solutions for stress urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence impacts almost 1 out of 2 women, and 1 out of 4 men in the US. Among women, stress urinary incontinence is the most common type of incontinence, and there are several types of treatment.

The first focus of treating women with stress urinary incontinence is improving pelvic floor health. The network of muscles that comprises your pelvic floor can be strengthened by doing Kegel exercises. (Learn how to do Kegels here.) Consistent Kegels tighten your pelvic floor, providing better support for your pelvic organs, including your bladder. But doing Kegels correctly isn’t always easy.

Elitone is an FDA-cleared device that uses gentle stimulation to do your Kegels for you, and it’s noninvasive and worn externally, like a maxi pad, under your clothes.

In many cases, early intervention can greatly reduce and even eliminate bladder leaks. Learning about the connection between alcohol and incontinence and limiting your alcohol intake are ways you can help control incontinence. Diet, weight gain, and exercise habits are other areas to explore for minimizing leaks. Being proactive about your bladder health will help you live a leak-free life.

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