What To Drink For Overactive Bladder

Sugary Foods And Drinks

We all know sugar can be dangerous: whether its rotting our teeth, causing our waistbands to expand, or leading to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, there are plenty of reasons to restrict sugar consumption. But its impossible to ignore that many of our favorite foods and especially popular dessert items contain loads of sugar.

And theres even more reason for you to avoid sugar if you suffer from overactive bladder. Thats because many urologists or doctors who specialize in the functionality of the urinary tract and bladder believe excessive sugar consumption can negatively impact the bladder, making it more likely to send individuals running to the washroom. If thats a tall order, try using Stevia, a natural sweetener that shouldnt cause issues with the bladder.

Eat Foods Rich In Magnesium

Foods that are rich in magnesium are known to be effective. Magnesium is helping in improving nerve function, reducing bladder muscle spasms. These foods include almonds, green vegetables, whole grains and fish. One study at Tel Aviv University in Isreal discovered that more than half of the women who took magnesium hydroxide pills twice a day had improvements in bladder health.

Protective Products for an Irritated Bladder

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Overactive Bladder Here Are 8 Foods And Drinks To Avoid

Overactive bladder, or OAB, is a problem that affects millions of people in North America up to 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women, according to the Urology Care Foundation. Generally, it impacts people more as they get older, with the condition intensifying if theres a family history of bladder problems. Of course, if you simply consume a lot of fluids say, you work out most days and drink a lot of water you may find yourself making overly frequent pit stops.

But there are a number of foods that can make this problem more prevalent. If you find that youre getting up in the middle of the night to use the washroom, then it may be time to try avoiding some of the foods and beverages found on the following list.

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Can Overactive Bladder Be Controlled

Overactive bladder therapy can be challenging to manage. However, many people are very satisfied with the treatment they receive and they often see a dramatic improvement in their quality of life. Your doctor will guide you to the best steps to begin with and give you options for any additional treatments you may need over time.

Are Some Types Of Alcohol Less Harmful To The Bladder

Sometimes people ask if it would be better to drink a concentrated alcoholic beverage, such as whiskey or vodka instead of beer, mixed drinks or wine so that the volume of liquid is reduced. The answer to that question is no.

Most of the increased urine precipitated by drinking alcohol is not due to the liquid in the beverage. Rather, it is caused by alcohols effect of increasing urine production.

There is no benefit of drinking undiluted hard liquor as opposed to other alcoholic beverages. Conversely, there is no advantage of drinking wine or beer as opposed to hard liquor in an effort to reduce the irritating effects of alcohol on the tissues of the urinary tract.

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Avoid Alcohol And Caffeine

Alcohol stimulates the bladder, and thats the last thing you need if you have an overactive bladder. Pass on wine, beer, and liquor so you dont have to worry about the frequent urination that often accompanies them. Caffeine is also a stimulant that can cause urgency, frequency, and incontinence. Its found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some sodas and energy drinks.

What Is The Home Remedy For Frequent Urination

To do Kegel exercises:Try stopping your urine mid-stream when going. The muscles you use are pelvic floor muscles. Focus on tightening those muscles when you have an empty bladder. Breathe normally when doing these exercises.Avoid squeezing your stomach, thighs, or buttocks instead of your pelvic floor muscles.

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What To Drink And Avoid With Overactive Bladder

When thinking about a bladder diet, deciding what to drink can be a challenge for some people. It is important to stay hydrated, and some people with OAB avoid drinking to prevent multiple washroom visits, but this is not a good idea. Dehydration can cause constipation and a whole host of other problems. Although we have always been instructed to drink eight glasses of water a day, some people may not need that much and those with overactive bladder should simply remember to drink water when they feel thirsty. They should also spread their fluid intake out throughout the day, sipping their drinks as opposed to gulping them. If a person is drinking enough, then their urine will be light yellow or almost colorless.

In terms of choice, here are some drinks people with OAB might want to avoid:

• Coffee, cola, tea, and energy drinks
• Alcohol
• Carbonated beverages
• Drinks with artificial sweeteners

Studies show that reducing caffeine intake to below 100 mg per day which is the amount in a regular cup of drip coffee can reduce bladder problems for a lot of people. This means that some OAB sufferers may still be able to enjoy at least one cup of coffee in a day. It is a case of trial and error, as some will find they cant handle the slightest amount of caffeine. When it comes to fruit juice, some have found that adding a little bit of extra water to the juice is helpful, while others discover that they have to switch to juices that are less acidic.

Oab: Drinks That May Increase The Urge To Go

One of the biggest OAB culprits iscaffeine, which can make you urinate more. Studies show that reducing caffeine intake to below 100 milligrams per day — the amount in one cup of drip coffee — may help reduce urge incontinence symptoms.

Cut down or cut out these problem beverages:

• Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, colas, energy drinks, and teas
• Acidic fruit juices, especially orange, grapefruit, and tomato
• Carbonated beverages, sodas, or seltzers
• Drinks with artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin, which may irritate the bladder

If you can’t imagine starting your day without a morning cup of coffee, try to lower the amount of caffeine you take in. Make a cup that’s half decaf and half regular. You may want to wean yourself gradually to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches.

For fruit juice, try switching to something with less acid, such as apple or pear juice, and dilute it with water.

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Fruits And Vegetables With A High Water Content

Just like water is great for urinary health, Dr. Kelley says foods with a high water content are too. “Any way people can get extra water in their body is usually helpful,” he says. Fruits and vegetables tend to be the type of foods highest in water. But Dr. Kelley does have one caveat to this rec: “Fruits that are acidic can actually irritate the bladder, so it’s best to choose fruits and vegetables with a high water content that aren’t acidic,” he says. Some examples of this include coconut, watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, peaches, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and collard greens.

Tomato Overload May Make You Go

Do you love tomatoes? You might like them less after learning they may make your overactive bladder symptoms worse. That’s because tomatoes are acidic. If you find your pasta dinner leads to overactive bladder at night, decrease or eliminate tomato-based products from your diet. Tomatoes aren’t just in pasta sauce but also foods like chili and condiments like ketchup.

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Try To Avoid Caffeine Carbonated Drinks Sugar Alcohol And Spicy Or Acidic Foods

• Caffeine is a diuretic which makes you need to use the bathroom more often.
• Carbonated drinks and sugar are thought to stimulate the bladder.
• Alcohol switches off the ability of your body to concentrate urine. This means you tend to urinate more dilute, watery urine, which dehydrates you. Since you are dehydrated, you may drink more.
• Acidic or spicy food may aggravate your overactive bladder and worsen your symptoms. Certain acidic fruit and juices like orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime can aggravate your bladder, too.

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So Can I Drink With Overactive Bladder

I would not recommend it. I suggest not drinking alcohol, especially if an underlying health problem is present or if medications to manage overactive bladder are being used. Talk with your health care provider to see what he or she recommends if you have questions.

In my opinion, the benefits of drinking are outweighed by the risks for most people who have an overactive bladder.

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Causes Of Overactive Bladder

To understand the cause of Overactive Bladder, a basic understanding of how the urinary system operates is needed.

The kidneys produce the urine and send it to the bladder. The bladder expands to holds the urine while the sphincter muscle acts as a spiget and controls the flow of urine. Basically on or off. As soon as your bladder gets approximately half fullmost people can handle about 2 cups of urineyour brain is signaled that you need to empty it. The bladder muscles contract while the sphincter relaxes. When there is a coordination problem along this system, incontinence occurs.

With Overactive Bladder, a person may be suddenly aware of the urgency sensation but is unable to get to the toilet before losing control of his or her urine. Urine loss can be in large amounts that soak underwear and even outer clothing.

Common triggers like hearing running water or simply the anticipation of urinating can cause a bladder spasm. In some cases, people who have physical limitations may not be able to reach the toilet in time, causing an accident.

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Do Cranberries Help Or Hurt

Cranberries are a mixed bag when it comes to your bladder. You may notice drinking cranberry juice helps ward off urinary tract infections, but the beverage may make you pee more often. Cranberries and cranberry juice are acidic and potential bladder irritants. Pay attention to how you feel when you ingest cranberries or cranberry juice. If they give you overactive bladder symptoms, you may need to back off. Decreasing your intake of acidic foods may also help decrease heartburn symptoms.

Coffee Or Tea Which Makes You Pee

Starting the day with a cup of coffee may be routine, however studies have shown that greater than 250 mg of caffeine daily can irritate the bladder causing urinary urgency and frequency.

Of note, Starbucks has some of the highest caffeine amounts of any coffee chain. One eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains approximately 180 mg of caffeine while a large, 20-ounce cup contains 415 mg. Cappuccino, espresso and the iced coffees contain slightly less caffeine than the brewed coffees.

Interestingly, the darker the roast, the less caffeine is present in ground coffee by volume. This is due to a) the longer a bean is roasted, the more caffeine in it is vaporized out of it, and b) the darker the roast, the larger the roasted bean becomes because it expands, producing more ground coffee by volume than a more lightly roasted bean will yield.

As caffeine is a diuretic, women may be causing their kidneys to produce more urine. This can overwhelm the bladder and cause frequent trips to the restroom or urinary leakage. Accordingly, it is good practice to drink at least eight ounces of water for each cup of coffee that you consume especially 30 minutes prior to engaging in an exercise routine to avoid dehydration.

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What Causes Overactive Bladder

An overactive bladder can be caused by several things, or even a combination of causes. Some possible causes can include:

• Weak pelvic muscles: Pregnancy and childbirth can cause your pelvic muscles to stretch and weaken. This can cause the bladder to sag out of its normal position. All of these factors can cause leakage.
• Nerve damage: Sometimes signals are sent to the brain and bladder to empty at the wrong time. Trauma and diseases can cause this to happen. These can include:
• Pelvic or back surgery.
• Stroke.

Often, there may be no specific explanation for why this is occurring.

Food And Drink To Help An Overactive Bladder

An over active bladder can be problematic but did you realise how much difference your diet can make?

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If you have an overactive bladder with urge incontinence, food and drink can make a big difference to your symptoms.

So sometimes what you drink or eat can aggravate symptoms and sometimes how much you eat or drink can make them worse, too.

If you are struggling, try these tips to help you calm your urge incontinence symptoms.

What to drink and when

The best drink is plain water as the added ingredients in soft drinks and energy drinks, and caffeine in coffee, may aggravate an overactive bladder.

Staying hydrated is important to overall health but choosing how much and when to drink is essential to help your bladder. THere are some tips for managing your fluid intake:

• Spread out fluid intake throughout the day, sipping water between meals.
• Unless exercising, dont carry a large water bottle with you.
• Fill your cup or glass half-way or use a smaller cup.
• Sip, dont gulp.

If youre drinking enough water, your urine should be light yellow or almost colourless and remember that you also get fluids in other foods, such as fruit, vegetables, and soups.

See your doctor if you have pain or burning with urination, or if your urine is cloudy, dark, or smells strong.

Drinks that may increase the urge to go

These are what you need to cut down, or cut out:

Foods to avoid

Some people find that certain food or drinks seem to make symptoms worse.

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Take Charge: Seek Your Doctors Advice

Approximately 80% of those affected by urinary incontinence can be cured or improved, yet only one in 12 people with incontinence issues seek help. Talk to your doctor about your bladder control as it can dramatically improve your lifestyle.

Your doctor can investigate and establish a cause for your overactive bladder. Treatment can then be tailored to this cause and may involve medications, bladder retraining, pelvic floor exercises, absorbent products, surgery, or combinations of these options.

Plus, consider joining the Drugs.com Overactive Bladder Support Group. Here, you can connect with people with similar questions and concerns, share your experiences, and keep up with the latest new drug approvals, ongoing research, and medical news.

Wine: Good Or Bad For Oab

Wine can trigger a leaky bladder for two reasons.

• Alcohol is a diuretic that will start an increase of urine production leading to more trips to the bathroom.
• Red wine has more tannins in it giving it a darker color. Tannins are found in fruit skins that add both bitterness and astringency. Unfortunately, these tasty chemical compounds are bladder irritants and cause OAB patients to have discomfort.

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