The Continence Foundation of Australia has revealed tradies may be at risk of incontinence, as Tradies National Health Month approaches in August.
The report states 20 per cent of the 4.8 million Australians affected by urinary and faecal incontinence are male and the causes can often “be put down to lifestyle issues”.
“While we all know that heavy lifting and overweight can damage men’s backs, we may not be as aware of the impact they can have on incontinence,” the release said.
“While there are certain medical conditions that increase the risk of incontinence*, for the majority of the population, incontinence is preventable and treatable.
“For men, apart from prostate surgery, the three big culprits are being overweight, constipation and heavy lifting.”
Being overweight
Carrying extra body weight stretches the pelvic floor, the group of sling-like muscles that hold up the abdominal organs and help close off the urinary and anal sphincters. Over-stretching them compromises their ability to shut off the sphincters, which are critical for maintaining continence.
Prevention: Keeping your body within the healthy weight range will significantly reduce the likelihood of urinary leakage. Research has shown that losing just 5 to 10 per cent of body weight reduces the incidence of urinary incontinence by around 70 percent2. In fact, weight loss has been shown to be an effective treatment for urinary incontinence.
Constipation
Regularly straining on the toilet has much the same impact on the pelvic floor as being overweight. Added to this, a full, impacted bowel can take up so much space in the abdominal cavity, it presses on the bladder and increases the risk of urge incontinence (going suddenly and often). A severely impacted bowel can also cause soiling that looks like diarrhoea but is, in fact, faecal overflow.
Prevention: Having a balanced diet that includes at least 30 grams of fibre daily, regular exercise and adequate fluid intake are all essential for preventing constipation. Empty your bowel as soon as you get the urge and avoid holding on, as this will cause moisture to be extracted from the stool, causing it to dry and harden further. If you do suffer from chronic constipation, see your doctor.
Lifting heavy weights or doing high impact activities
Regular lifting of heavy weights or high-impact activities (like jumping) without the preliminary pelvic floor strengthening can also strain the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles are part of the body’s core muscle group, and persistent weight-bearing or high-impact activity on a compromised pelvic floor can potentially lead to lower back problems.
Prevention: By ‘engaging’ the pelvic floor, or bracing, before any heavy lifting or high-impact action, the strain on the pelvic floor will be reduced. Like any muscles, the pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened with specific exercises.
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