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
Never strain while toileting. This puts excessive stress on the pelvic floor. This can cause the pelvic floor to become weak and you are more susceptible to stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
Protect your skin
Constant use of pads to help with bladder leaks cause poor ventilation and this can lead to vaginal skin irritation. Try to avoid pads if you can for those "just in case" events
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