Bladder Health Awareness Month
Bladder Health Awareness Month is recognized every November as an opportunity to raise awareness about bladder health, which affects nearly everyone at some point in their lives. It's a good thing it gets a full month - it currently affects over 80 million Americans and a common topic for a pelvic floor physical therapist to discuss with their patients.
During this month, we are sharing tips on taking care of your bladder, staying active and eating right, as well as ways to avoid incontinence, overactive bladder (OAB), and frequent UTI’s or bladder infections.
How to Practice Good Bladder Habits
Urinate when you wake up and just before you go to bed, avoiding frequent stops to the restroom in the evening before bed.
Drink plenty of water to help dilute your urine and reduce its acidity.
Only void when your bladder is adequately full (avoid going “just in case” without an urge).
Avoid bladder irritants like alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages, artificial sweeteners, cocoa powder (in chocolate), and hot spices (such as cayenne). These can all contribute to bladder irritation.
Try not to panic when you feel a strong urge to urinate. If you use mental distraction (like counting backward by 7 from 100) and sit down with deep breaths, that strong urge will dissipate and allow you to head to the restroom with less panic and less chance of an accident.
Never strain (or push) to urinate. Your muscles of the pelvic floor should just be relaxed so your bladder can contract to urinate.
Stay Hydrated
One of the most important things to remember when you are trying to keep your bladder healthy is to stay well hydrated. Water can help prevent bladder infections, chronic pain and many other bladder issues. Drinking plenty of water every day will also make it easier for you to go to the bathroom when you need to.
When it comes to staying hydrated, there are a few things that can help:
Avoid drinking too much alcohol or caffeine
Eat foods that are high in water content (like fruits and vegetables) instead of foods with a lot of salt or sugar content.
Sipping warm tea throughout the day can be a great way to hydrate slowly and evenly.
Use of a straw can help you drink more water, and a well-labeled water bottle so you know how much you are drinking to hit your goals.
Eat a nutritious diet with plenty of fiber
A nutritious diet is important for a healthy bladder. Fiber helps keep your digestive system healthy and can help prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, both of which can cause you to strain or push harder, which affects your pelvic floor and bladder.
Avoid bladder irritants like caffeine, carbonated beverages and alcohol
Avoid bladder irritants like caffeine, carbonated beverages and alcohol. These can all cause bladder irritation. Caffeine, for example, may cause frequent urination and urgency. Drinking carbonated beverages can also cause pain when urinating and make it difficult to hold your urine in. Alcohol can lead to incontinence as well as other urinary tract problems as it dehydrates the body's tissues.
Practice pelvic floor muscle coordination (both relaxation and strengthening).
This can help with bladder control and also help to decrease excess urinary urgency and frequency.
To practice pelvic floor muscle coordination, first try lying down on your back with your knees bent. One of the most important parts of learning coordination is to be able to start with a good diaphragmatic breath. Place one hand on your upper chest and one hand at the side of your lower ribs (just under your breast). Inhale into your nose and try to aim for expansion at your lower ribs (only feeling your upper chest move at the top of the inhale). The inhalation is when your pelvic floor should be the most relaxed.
Now, as you exhale try to do a kegel by thinking about scooping a blueberry with your vagina or “closing the openings”. You can also think of stopping the urine stream. As you then inhale, think of dropping your pelvic floor and completely relaxing.
Aim for two sets of 10 per day: one in the morning and another later in the day or before going to bed at night.
If you have excess urinary urgency or frequency, pelvic pain, constipation, or frequent UTI’s, your pelvic floor may have excess tension so you should not be doing many of these, and your focus should be more on relaxation.
Note: It's best to do these under the guidance of a professional physical therapist.
Conclusion
Bladder (and pelvic floor) health is something that should be taken seriously. It's important to keep your bladder and pelvic floor happy, because it can affect the rest of your body if not taken care of properly. If you have any questions about this topic or feel you need further assessment, we are here to help. We offer a free, 30 minute consultation so you can ask your questions and decide if pelvic floor physical therapy is right for you.