How to Manage Your Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder — a common condition that leads to frequent bathroom trips during the day and at night, as well as incontinence — can quickly put a damper on your social life, your home life, and even work. Nothing’s quite as unnerving as a daily battle against incontinence! 

Well, good news! Our team of board-certified urologists at Bellingham Urology Group are experts when it comes to helping patients manage their overactive bladders.

Whether you're experiencing sudden urges to urinate or waking up multiple times at night, these tips can help you manage your symptoms effectively.

Identify your triggers

First things first: Certain foods and drinks can make an overactive bladder worse. While you’re working to manage the condition, try to identify and avoid your triggers.

Common triggers include caffeine, alcohol, acidic foods, spicy foods, dairy products, and even stress. Medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, can also contribute to nocturia (frequent urination during the night). 

Keep a bladder diary for a week and note what you eat and drink, the times and frequency of your bathroom visits, and how many times you get up in the night to use the restroom. This will help you identify patterns and eliminate triggers from your daily routine.

Focus on lifestyle changes

There isn’t just one solution to an overactive bladder. In fact, there are many lifestyle changes you can make to help improve your bladder health. 

Focus on water intake

It may seem counterintuitive, but staying hydrated is part of your overactive bladder management plan. You might be tempted to drink less to cut back on bathroom visits, but the reality is that dehydration can make an overactive bladder worse.

Dehydration can irritate your bladder and make symptoms worse. Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day, but limit fluid intake before bedtime to reduce nighttime bathroom trips.

Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages, both of which can trigger overactive bladder.

Eat nutrient-dense foods

What you drink is important, but so it is what you eat. Non-acidic, nutrient-rich foods support bladder health. Helpful options include fruits like apples, bananas, and berries, as well as vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers. 

Fiber is important because it helps prevent constipation, and constipation can put pressure on your bladder. Fiber-rich choices include almonds, oats, and beans.

Maintain a healthy weight

If you’re carrying excess weight — especially if your body fat percentage is over 32% — it can make you 95% more likely to experience overactive bladder symptoms. Losing weight can help you take some of the pressure off your bladder.

Quit smoking

Smoking is another bladder irritant — it also increases your risk of bladder cancer — so quitting can benefit your bladder in a few ways. 

Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles

Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegels, are a great way to improve bladder control. These exercises strengthen the muscles that support your bladder and help reduce the urgency and frequency of urination. 

Try doing three sets of 10 Kegels a day to see improvements over time.

Explore medical treatment options 

While lifestyle changes go a long way in supporting bladder health, sometimes you need a little extra help. That’s where Bellingham Urology Group comes into the picture. Our team knows that an overactive bladder can be frustrating and embarrassing, and that’s why we offer several different treatments to help you get the relief you need.

Your potential treatments may include:

• Medications like oxybutynin or tolterodine to help calm muscle spasms in your bladder
• Botox bladder injections to reduce muscle spasms 
• InterStim® sacral nerve stimulation to combat abnormal nerve signals from your bladder to your brain

Help for an overactive bladder is just a call or click away. Call our Bellingham or Mount Vernon, Washington, office or use our online form to request an appointment today.