At work with incontinence

Staff meetings, client lunches, customer calls. In your workday, incontinence can be unsettling. You're taking lots of breaks - even during big client meetings. You're away from your desk every time your boss comes by. You reach the office flustered one morning - the dark stain on your clothes all too obvious.

If your boss asks, is it anyone's business? Do you need to confide? How can you prevent these incontinence accidents from happening?

"It's a very private, personal problem - and I'm not sure you need to explain it at work," says Dr May Wakamatsu, a specialist in urology and gynaecology. "All you need to say is, 'I have a medical problem that requires treatment.'"

She's written notes for women who need an excuse to get up every two hours. Preventing those incontinence accidents - including little leaks - takes forethought, she says. It also requires the right incontinence products.

Your strategy for handling incontinence

Stock up on good-quality pads. Absorbent incontinence pads are different from menstrual pads, Wakamatsu tells us. Like nappies, they have a powder that turns to gel, she explains, “and holds more fluid so they are more protective. If you're going into a big meeting, that's what you need."

Invest in odour preventers. "These are slow-release capsules that, when in contact with fluid, liberate a pleasant odour. They are contained in incontinence products," explains Dr Roger R Dmochowski. "But there are also sprays that act as odour absorbers."

Try a tampon. If you have stress incontinence, wearing a tampon can help prevent leaks. It works by putting pressure on the urethra, says Dr Vani Dandolu, also a specialist in urology and gynaecology. "It's something I learned from a patient. During her period when she used tampons, she didn't have any leaks. The rest of the time, she did."

Reduce caffeine or water. "If you sit in a meeting and drink two or three cups of coffee, your bladder will be full. When you stand up, you may leak," says Wakamatsu. The caffeine in coffee is a diuretic, which further increases your chances of having an accident. Avoiding excessive water intake is also important if you have urinary incontinence. Most people go to the toilet every three or four hours. That’s a good way to gauge if you’re getting enough water.

Love those black trousers (or skirts). Dark-coloured business attire is timeless. It also hides a multitude of problems, including little stains. "Don't ever wear a colour that shows fluid," Wakamatsu says. "You may even want to bring a change of clothes."

Practise pelvic floor exercises. Even in meetings, you can practise pelvic floor exercises, says Wakamatsu, and “no one will ever know." Pelvic floor exercises are a method of managing leakage from stress incontinence. You learn to feel the pelvic muscle that controls the bladder - then tighten that muscle at the right instant. If you leak when you laugh, tighten up at that moment. To do pelvic floor exercises, contract the muscles that you would use to stop the flow of urine. Hold the contraction for a few seconds to begin with and then relax. Do this at least eight to 10 times, at least three times a day.