The Dos And Donts For Managing An Overactive Bladder Through Diet
Changing your lifestyle and diet can make you less likely to have overactive bladder issues.
Alamy Jill Chen/Stocksy
People living with an overactive bladder often can find relief by changing their diet.
“We forget that some of the things we eat are causing our problems,” said the late Jean Fourcroy, MD, a urologist who was based in Washington, DC, in a 2011 interview.
Avoiding things that irritate the bladder, regulating your amount of fluid intake, and increasing your dietary fiber are just a few of the ways you can eat better to improve the symptoms of overactive bladder.
Find out more about the dos and donts of managing this condition through diet.
Should I Avoid Sugar Completely If I Have Incontinence
You dont have to give up sugar all together, but you should definitely pay attention to the amount you consume. People are unique and what may be a big bladder irritant for one person isnt always necessarily one for someone else. The best thing to do is to keep a bladder diary and track what youre eating and drinking for a few days, as well as when you have leaks. If you start noticing certain patterns , it may be a good idea to cut back. You can also try an elimination diet by eliminating sugar all together for a period of time, then slowly introducing it back into your system to see if it makes a difference.
Of course, when it comes to sugar, moderation is key for anyone not just those experiencing leaks. Too much sugar is bad for anyone trying to stick to a healthy diet. If you can, try to stick to naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and limit foods with added sugar as much as possible.
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Increase Your Fiber Intake
Eating more fiber-rich foods is one of the tastiest tips for promoting bladder health. Fiber is an essential part of an effective overactive bladder diet and can be found in an array of foods from the beans and lentil family and some of the whole-grain foods youve already added to your grocery list.
Try This: Black beans! These are a great addition to many of your already-existing meals. Love eating a quesadilla? Add black beans to your chicken quesadilla for a meal packed with fiberextra points for making it on a whole grain wrap! Do you crave pasta? Try lentil pasta for your next spaghetti night. You wont even notice the difference!
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Icipants And Data Collection
The participants in this study comprised 158 advanced cancer patients admitted to the Oncology Department in St. Marys Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea. Participants agreed voluntarily to participate in this study after being informed about its purpose and procedures, and convenience sampling was used to recruit the sample of 158 participants.
The selection criteria included persons 18 years or older with stage III/IV gastric or lung cancer who had been treated with chemotherapy , had no preexisting CIPN symptoms prior to initial chemotherapy, and were classified as National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria grade I or higher.
Data collection was conducted from February 2014 to June 2014, and the study received approval from the Institutional Review Board of St. Marys Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea . Patients who met the selection criteria were informed about the purpose, methods, and procedures of the study, as well as about how to withdraw from participation. Written consent was obtained from patients who agreed to participate in the study. One researcher screened and selected grade I or higher patients based on the NCI-CTC grading system of peripheral neuropathy.
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Their feeding guidelines suggest 1.1 oz per pound of body weight daily. You should divide this into two or more meals as you see fit, and dont feed it to pregnant cats or kittens.
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What Else Can I Do
Drinking plenty of fluids may also help to âflushâ the bladder and prevent cystitis.
References
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What You Can Do
To get ready for your appointment, it helps to:
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions, such as restricting your diet
- Write down your symptoms, including how often you urinate, nighttime bladder activity and episodes of incontinence
- Make a list of all your medications, vitamins and supplements, including doses and how often you take the medication
- Write down key medical information, including other conditions you may have
- Ask a relative or friend to accompany you, to help you remember what the doctor says
- Take a notebook or electronic device with you, and use it to note important information during your visit
- Write down questions to ask your doctor
For urinary incontinence, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Whats the most likely cause of my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
- Is my urinary incontinence temporary?
- What treatments are available?
- Should I anticipate any side effects of the treatment?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine youre prescribing for me?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions together?
Dont hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment as they occur to you.
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How Is Bladder Cancer Detected
Several different diagnostic tests can be used to detect bladder cancer. Often a combination of tests is selected, taking into account an individual patients symptoms and risk factors. They may include non-invasive tests carried out on urine samples, cystoscopy , and imaging techniques such as x-ray and ultrasound.
Watch Out For Bubbles And Fizz
Carbonated drinks of club soda, seltzer water, and other “sparkling” waters may irritate sensitive bladders. So if you have overactive bladder , also called urinary “urge incontinence,” limit how much you take in. If your taste runs to Champagne or other sparkling wines, keep in mind that both the fizz and the alcohol could trigger problems.
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Foods Containing Good Bacteria
Though you may not be familiar with the terms Lactobacilli and Bifidobactria, you have probably heard of them referred to as good bacteria. These are the kinds of bacteria that actually strengthen your urinary tract, enabling it to fight the bad, infection causing bacteria associated with UTIs. You can make sure that you get your good bacteria by eating yogurt and other fermented products. A convenient and delicious snack that comes in many flavors, yogurt is easy to add to your daily diet. Enjoy a yogurt with berries or granola, in a smoothie, or straight from the container.
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Treatment For Urinary Incontinence
Since urinary incontinence is common and can be caused by several different factors, seeking treatment is important to rule out serious, underlying causes and improve your overall quality of life. Working with your doctor to make healthy lifestyle changes is one of the best ways to combat urinary incontinence issues, especially when it comes to identifying dietary triggers. If lifestyle changes arent enough, there are other options. With the use of medications, bladder training, and various other procedures, your doctor will help you find relief from troublesome urinary incontinence symptoms. Treatment among women and men may vary slightly, so always discuss any questions or concerns with your doctor.
To support healthy, active lifestyles, Byram Healthcare has a wide selection of high-quality incontinence products available for discreet delivery. To learn more, or to speak with a professional regarding incontinence questions and ongoing management, contact today.
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What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection or UTI is an infection anywhere in your bladder, kidneys or in the urinary system.
An infection of the upper urinary tract or the bladder is called a bladder infection or cystitis. An infection in the urethra is called urethritis. Women tend to be more at risk of these types of infections due to their anatomy they have a much shorter area between the urethra and the opening to the urethra to the bladder. Urinary tract infections are rare in men under 50 due to their anatomy.
A more serious infection of the lower urinary tract is an infection of the kidney and the ureters and is called pyelonephritis. This is a complication and occurs when the bladder infection progresses to the kidneys.
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According to the Stanford Medicines Michael Hsieh Lab, half of women and men will have experienced a urinary tract infection during our lifetime at least once. They are the most common infection, and can lead to death in patients who are experiencing it severely. Antibiotics are the most effective therapy.The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases account 8.1 million visits to the clinic, hospitals for UTI purposes. For women, the risk of getting a UTI is 50 percent greater than a man.
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A Closer Look At Fluid Intake
Women who are experiencing symptoms like urinary frequency, urgency, or bladder spasms should limit total fluid intake to less than 64 oz a day, with less than two servings of caffeine or alcohol per day.
Its important to note that a single beverage container can easily hold two or three servings depending on its size, says Dr. Miranne. Many people dont realize how much fluid they are actually consuming each day.
Read on to learn about the most common culprits in bladder irritation and ways to ease urinary symptoms.
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Managing Bladder Or Urinary Incontinence
Sometimes urinary incontinence can last a short time, depending on whats causing it. But sometimes incontinence can be long-term and uncomfortable, making some everyday activities difficult to manage.
Your health care team will ask you questions to determine the type of bladder incontinence you might have. Then, you might need tests to verify the type and learn the cause of it which will help them know the best way to manage it.
- Pelvic floor muscle strengthening may be recommended. A physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor muscle exercises can help. This might help muscle strength and bladder control get better by doing exercises that tighten and relax muscles that control the flow of urine.
- Bladder training canhelp manage how often you need to urinate throughout the day, by assigning certain time intervals to empty your bladder.
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Types Of Food That Trigger Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence in women often leads to a lack of confidence in living everyday lives. The initial treatment is to make behavioral changes along with restraining foods and drinks that contain substances that stimulate the bladder.
Studies have shown that caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea stimulate frequent urination. Caffeine works as a diuretic, as it reduces water reabsorption when it passes to the kidneys, causes the kidneys to excrete a heavy amount of water. In addition to caffeine, here are 9 kinds of foods and drinks trigger frequent urination.
- Tomato extracts or tomato-based products
- Spicy foods
- Dessert or sugary foods
If consuming these types of foods and drinks trigger your bladder and result in urinary incontinence, it is recommended to stop the consumption immediately. And if the symptom persists, you should seek medical advice for diagnosis and receive proper treatment.
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Causes Of A Dog Urinary Tract Infection
The most common cause of a dog urinary tract infection is bacterial infection. The bacteria can be transmitted from a human or another dog to your dog, so its important for you to be cautious about not spreading the bacteria.
Another possibility is that your dog may have been in contact with an infected cat and picked up the bacteria that led to his UTI.
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What Is Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a loss of control over urination. Urine leaks before you are able to get to a toilet.
Normally, kidneys make urine that travels through tubes into the bladder. The bladder is a balloon-shaped structure with walls of muscle. The muscular walls are relaxed until the bladder fills up. The underside of the bladder is supported by pelvic floor muscles.
When the bladder is full, the walls of the bladder are stretched. That signals the muscular walls to squeeze down, causing an urge to urinate. When you are ready to urinate, the muscular walls squeeze down harder, and another tube opens up that carries urine out of the bladder and into the outside world.
With the various types of urinary incontinence, this normal process gets disrupted.
One type of incontinence is stress incontinence. Your pelvic muscles are located beneath your bladder. Stress incontinence occurs when your pelvic muscles arent strong enough. They cannot withstand a stress or pressure pushing on the bladder.
When your pelvic muscles give way, they release their squeeze around the bottom of your bladder. As a result, urine can drain out.
Stress incontinence is common during:
- Some awkward body movements
Many women have urinary incontinence after childbirth. Pregnancy and childbirth can affect the conditioning of the pelvic muscles. They can also stretch and injure the pelvic nerves. Incontinence may last for a surprisingly long time after childbirth.
When To Connect With Your Doctor
If urinary incontinence happens regularly, to the point where you find yourself adjusting your daily life and avoiding your usual activities because of it, contacting your doctor is a good next step.
In the meantime, pads or adult diapers can help manage leakage.
Your doctor will most likely ask you to keep a diary for three to four days to track:
- Liquid consumed
- When leakage usually tends to happen
They may also recommend tests, such as:
- Post-void residual urine testing to help determine whether your bladder empties completely when you urinate.
- Urinalysis to help rule out infections.
- Blood tests to test kidney function.
- Urodynamic testing to make sure your bladder is functioning properly.
- Cystoscopy to examine the urinary tract for signs of inflammation, blockage or narrowing, or cancer leading to incontinence.
Your doctor can also offer more guidance on potential treatments for urinary incontinence, such as:
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