People who suffer from female incontinence may benefit from making some simple lifestyle changes, an expert has claimed.

Dawn DuBois, an exercise physiologist and certified pelvic health instructor at St Luke's Hospital in Missouri, US, revealed that many of the one in three women who are affected by bladder control issues could take steps to ease the problem.

She told the STLtoday.com website that smoking may contribute to female incontinence, as nicotine can irritate the bladder and a smoker's cough can be problematic in women with weak pelvic floor muscles.

Excess body weight can also put unnecessary stress on the pelvic floor muscles, while alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods and citrus fruits can cause the bladder to be overactive.

Ms DuBois noted that, contrary to popular belief, limiting fluid intake is unlikely to reduce reliance on incontinence products for women.

She told the website: "If you drink too little, your body does conserve fluid by decreasing what the kidney and bladder eliminate.

"But while the amount of urine decreases, it also becomes stronger and more concentrated, causing the bladder to contract more actively than normal. Drinking small amounts of water throughout the day is best."

Urinary incontinence is much more common in women than in men, and the information website Patient.co.uk suggests that up to one-fifth of women over the age of 40 are affected by female incontinence.