Category: Bladder Health

Dietary Tips For Your Bladder

While there is no particular “diet” that can cure  bladder control there are some dietary suggestions   that we believe can be helpful to your bladder. It is important that you do not decrease your intake   of fluids without the advice of your physician.  Highly concentrated, dark yellow urine is irritating to   the bladder surface and may actually cause you to go to the bathroom more frequently. Bacteria is   encouraged to grow when this happens, which may lead to infections resulting in incontinence.  

 There are some foods and beverages that are thought to contribute to bladder leakage. You may   want to see if eliminating one or all of these items improves your bladder control.  Sometimes it’s   not a matter of eliminating but just using moderation with the following items: 
alcoholic beverages
highly spiced foods
artificial sweeteners 
tomato based products 
caffeinated beverages
citrus and fruit juice 
  Substitutions: 
  Low acid fruits:     Kava (low acid instant) 
                                     Postum 
                                     Pero 

 For tea drinkers:   Non-citrus herbal
                                     Sun brewed tea

 Vitamin C Substitute:  Calcium carbonate co-buffered 
                                             with calcium ascorbate 

 Although water is always the best beverage choice, grape and apple juice are thirst quenchers   and are not as irritating to the bladder.  Cigarette smoking is also irritating to the bladder   surface and is associated with bladder cancer.  In addition, the coughing associated with   smoking may lead to increased stress incontinence episodes. Obesity can also contribute to   incontinence.

Bladder Health Tips

Tips To Maintain Good Bladder Habits:

1.  Maintain a good fluid intake.  Depending on your body size and environment, drink 4-8 cups (8oz each) of fluid per day unless otherwise advised by your doctor.  Not enough fluid creates a foul odor and dark colored urine.

2.  Limit the amount of caffeine (coffee, soda, chocolate or tea) and citrus foods that you consume, as these foods can be associated with increased sensation of urinary urgency and frequency.  

3.  Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.  Alcohol increases urine production and also makes it difficult for the brain to coordinate bladder control.

4.  Avoid constipation by maintaining a balanced diet of dietary fibers.

Practice these habits and enjoy a healthy bladder!

Proper Bladder Habits

Proper bladder habits can aid a great deal in controlling issues such as urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and yeast infections.  Understanding how to keep your bladder healthy can keep you more active and self-assured as you age.  Following are guidelines to keeping and maintaining a healthy bladder. 
Drink 80oz of water per day. 
voiding should take place no more than 6-8 times in a 24 hour period 
Normal voiding intervals should be 2-5 hours apart. 
people under the age of 65 should not void during the night. 
Each urination stream should last up to 8-10 seconds long. 
Avoid bladder irritants such as caffeine, alcohol, acidic juices, certain medications, and nicotine. 
** If you decide to drink a cup of coffee or tea, make sure you add 10 ml of water to your daily intake. 

Bladder Retraining

STARTING THE PROGRAM
Discuss your current toilet habits with your therapist.  A bladder diary is usually completed before retraining is started.  Keeping records along the way is also important.  Use the daily urinary log to track your progress.

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED
A daily urinary log and pencil to mark the time of urinating and any urinary leakage accidents.  A clock or a timer may help you stay on the scheduled program.

THE SCHEDULE
Going to the toilet at the assigned time is important to do, even if you do not feel the need to urinate.  The important part of the retraining is that YOU practice telling your bladder when to empty and when to hold.  The amount you urinate is not important.  It is important to relax and not strain while voiding.

1.  It is important to urinate when you first get up in the morning.  If you have a hard time making it to the toilet once you get up, use any one of the urge control techniques described above before you get out of bed.  Once the urge has decreased, get out of bed using good body mechanics and walk slowly to the toilet.  DO NOT RUSH!  Empty your bladder as completely as you can, never push or strain, and on your urinary log record in the “amount urinated” box (no measurement is required) beside the hour that you used the toilet.  Now set your time for  ______  minutes/hours.  The schedule for the day always begins with your first urination.

2.  When the time sounds, go to the toilet EVEN IF YOU DO NOT FEEL THE NEED TO URINATE!  If you urinate, check the box “amount urinated” (only measure if your health care provider has asked you to).  If you experience any leakage, record it and the amount (small, medium, large) in the accident column.  Immediately reset your timer or watch for   _______  minutes/hours.  Continue this all day until you go to bed.  The retraining does not continue at bedtime.  Follow this schedule until your next visit.

KEEPING A DIARY
*  Record each of your scheduled urinations on the urinary log sheet.  Also record if you had any accident.  If you miss urinating at the scheduled time, leave the log blank.
*  If you interrupt your retraining by urinating before the scheduled time, record the time you urinated and attempt to urinate at the scheduled time so that you are back on the schedule.
*  If you miss one or more schedule urinations, get back on the schedule as soon as you remember.
*  Your records will be reviewed during your appointment, so bring them with you.

PROGRESSING THE PROGRAM
You and your therapist will assess the correct amount of time for you at each follow-up visit. You will change the time between urination by ______ minute/hour intervals.  This means you will be urinating every _____ minutes/hour.  It is easy to compare your continence logs from week to week to see the progress you’re making.  The goal is to go between 3-4 hours between urinating.

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS AND SETBACKS
If all of the above techniques fail and you still have an overwhelming urge to go, you may use the toilet.  If this occurs, record in the amount urinated column as well as in the “activity with leakage and was urge present” column the hour that this urge and voiding occurred.

Whenever you leak urine, check in the “amount of leakage” box with small, medium, or large corresponding to the hour this occurs.  Do not be discouraged if this happens, it is normal.  Your bladder problems did not happen overnight and won’t be cured overnight.  This may take several weeks.

The urge feeling needs to be suppressed on a consistent basis, be patient and stick with the program.  Before you begin, decide what type of strategy will work for you and use it faithfully.

Some additional ways to calm or suppress your urge to urinate include:

* Pressure to the perineal area – place your hand or a rolled up towel against your body and apply firm pressure.  Or, alternatively, sit on a rolled up towel placed on a firm chair.
*  Usually the urge wave will pass in a few minutes.
*  Mental distraction including visualization of your favorite vacation spot, counting backwards, deep breathing or positive self-thoughts, for example, “I can control my bladder”.
*  Performing pelvic floor exercises.

Setbacks are not uncommon if you:  have been ill with a cold or flu, are tired, cannot completely concentrate on the program, feel nervous or tense, are sensitive to cold weather or the sound of running water, or are about to start your menstrual period.