7 Healthy Bladder Habits to Form Now

Hydration

Drinking enough liquids, especially water, keeps urine from getting too strong. Concentrated urine causes bladder urgency, has a foul odor, and can cause urinary tract infections and skin infections.

Caffeine Intake

Caffeine is considered bladder irritant and stimulant. This can lead to urgency, frequency and increased production of urine.

Caffeine can hide in coffee, teak, carbonated beverage, chocolate, and some over the counter allergy and cold medication.

Bowel Regularity

Constipation can make bladder symptoms worse due to increased pressure on the bladder from an overfilled rectum.

Straining during defecation can lead to pelvic floor weakness due too much stretch being put on the pelvic floor.

Bladder schedules

A schedule for bladder emptying can aid in the treatment of urgency, frequency and urge incontinence. Toileting too often or "just in case" can cause the bladder to hold less urine that it is capable.

Empty your bladder about every 2 to 4 hours. Not urinated for greater than 6 hours can increased bladder irritation and can also increase a risk for a bladder infection to occur.

Muscle Retraining

The pelvic floor support the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, ovaries and small intestine). Weakness of these muscles can allow urine to unintentionally leak with coughing, sneezing or running.

Pelvic floor training are helpful exercises in treating stress incontinence and urge incontinence as well as fecal incontinence.

Correct Voiding