Bladder training for urge or mixed incontinence
Bladder training for urge or mixed incontinence
Bladder training (sometimes referred to as delayed urination) involves learning how to hold more urine in the bladder and so reduce the number of times the patient needs to pass urine. It also includes lifestyle advice on the amount and types of fluids to drink, and coping strategies to reduce urgency. Supervised bladder training is recommended by NICE as first-line treatment for urge or mixed urinary incontinence. Simple advice for patients includes:
- Start by trying to hold the urine for five minutes every time there is the urge to urinate
- When it becomes easy to wait five minutes, try to increase the time to 10 minutes
- Continue to increase the amount of time until urinating every three to four hours
- When there is the urge to urinate before the time is up, try relaxation techniques. Breathe slowly and deeply.