Changes to lifestyle and behavior can be effective in the management of
overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and promote bladder health. These can be
incorporated into your daily routine with little effort and should help you
effectively take control of your bladder problem:
Watch what you eat and drink
Some people may try to drink less to reduce OAB symptoms. But this can
concentrate urine, which can irritate the bladder and make you constipated.
How much fluid you need each day depends on how much you sweat (from heat or
being active). Most people should drink 4 to 6 cups of fluids a day. At least
half of your fluids should be water.
Certain types of food and drink may irritate the bladder and may contribute to
incontinence. Try to avoid these foods and drinks for 3-5 days. If your
symptoms improve, avoid them as much as you can.
Tea
Coffee
Alcohol
Fizzy drinks (e.g. cola)
Fruits, especially citrus (e.g. oranges, lemon, grapefruit)
Citrus drinks (e.g. orange or grapefruit juice)
Tomatoes and tomato-based food
Spicy foods
Chocolate
Artificial sweeteners
Instead the following drinks and snacks are recommended:
Cranberry or prune juice
Plums
Salt-free crackers
Cookies: non-chocolate, oatmeal
Hard candy
Jelly
Decaffeinated beverages: tea, coffee
Cheese
Cereal
Watch your weight
If you are overweight, weight loss can improve OAB symptoms.
Stop smoking
Chemicals from smoking can irritate the bladder.
Try to stay regular
Normal bowel activity is defined as an “easy” non-painful movement at least
every other day. Avoid straining your bowels. Eat fibre, drink enough and
exercise to stay regular.
Exercise
Regular exercise can help keep weight down, help mobility and general health.
Tips
Keep a diary noting times when you visit the toilet and also the times of
leaks.
Try and have mental control over your bladder. Create a timetable for
visiting the toilet; don’t just go when you get an urge. For example, if
when you started your diary you were passing urine every hour, try to
gradually extend this time to 1.5 hours, then to 2 hours, 2.5 hours and so
on.
Use
pelvic floor exercises
to overcome the urge to urinate, as this will often make the urgency
disappear.
Try to concentrate on something else other than urgency. You should read a
book, watch television or use simple problem solving to distract yourself
when you get an urge (e.g. count backwards in 9’s).
Your bladder muscles can be trained like other muscles in your body. With
guidance from your healthcare provider, you can learn techniques to
condition your bladder muscles to hold urine more effectively and decrease
feelings of urgency.
Maintaining a healthy bladder
Your bladder problem could be improved by making some changes to the way you
manage it.
It’s important that you are drinking normal amounts. This is usually about
one and a half to two litres (6-8 glasses) per day – and more in hot
weather. This makes sure that your urine stays dilute. If you restrict your
fluids because you’re worried about going to the toilet too often your urine
may become more concentrated, which can irritate your bladder and you may
need to go to the toilet more frequently because of it.
It is better to have water and to avoid caffeinated, fizzy drinks or
alcohol, including diet drinks containing artificial sugars such as
aspartame, acesulfame K and sodium saccharin (diet cola, diet lemonade).
These types of fluids can aggravate the sensation of urgency and have a
diuretic effect which makes you produce urine more quickly.
Other factors that can aggravate OAB can be the anxiety or fear of leaking.
When you feel anxious, stop and take a few slow deep (not big) breaths until
the feeling eases.
Being overweight can also contribute to OAB. Try to get adequate exercise
and eat a moderate diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Don’t give up on your pelvic floor exercises
pelvic floor exercises! These involve squeezing and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor,
which are connected to the bladder by nerves. It may take a few weeks to see
an improvement so stick with it.
Some foods can worsen bladder problems in certain people. Watch out for
chocolate (another source of caffeine), as well as spicy or acidic foods
like tomatoes and citrus fruits.
Avoid constipation by maintaining a diet rich in fibre and fluids.
Constipation can place added pressure on the bladder and causes the need to
empty the bladder more frequently and urgently.
Stop smoking. Not only can smoking increase your risk of cancer but
cigarette smoke and nicotine also act as bladder irritants.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) will not trigger incontinence for most
people, but it can make a difference if you are prone to incontinence.
To avoid a UTI:
Drink plenty of liquids, especially water (6-8 glasses per day).
Wipe from front to back after urinating and after a bowel movement.
Empty your bladder before and after sex to lower your risk of UTIs.
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