Top tips to support your bladder & bowels
The bladder and bowels are two important organs. They are at the end of the digestion process, the organs that filter out what the body doesn’t need or want. Looking after these organs are essential because by doing so, we can be confident in avoiding urinary and faecal incontinence.
The good news is that even the smallest of lifestyle changes and choices can have a positive, immediate impact on the bladder and bowel.
1. Water (and plenty of it!)
People who have issues with a ‘weak bladder’ or occasional urge incontinence will often assume that to control it, they need to strictly control their fluid intake.
Unfortunately, this can make incontinence worse, especially if you have an overactive bladder or urge incontinence. The bladder, because you are becoming dehydrated, will become more irritated and the condition will appear worse.
As counterintuitive as it sounds, drink plenty of water, slowly increasing your intake to about 2 litres a day.
2. Spreading fluid intake
Glugging a pint of cold water is not the best way of getting a handle on your incontinence either. Most health professionals recommend that you spread drinks throughout the day, but try to have most of your fluid intake by 6pm to help manage nocturnal loo visits.
3. Avoid caffeine & alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol are stimulants on the bladder and can contribute to inflammation and further irritation. Both also have a diuretic effect on the body; this is why when you drink, you need the loo more often.
Carbonated drinks can also make you pee more, and caffeine is not just found in ordinary tea and coffee – always check the label. Many people find that by drastically reducing or cutting out caffeine altogether, their over active bladder is much more manageable.
4. Avoid chocolate
This comes as an unwanted surprise, as chocolate is often the favourite sweet treat of most people. Avoiding chocolate bars, as well as hot chocolate drinks etc. can be helpful in controlling the symptoms of an irritated bladder.
5. Eat Potassium rich foods
There are some theories which say that potassium rich foods cause the muscles of the bladder to go into spasm, but other people report that they can have a soothing effect. This is one of those tips where you will need to experiment and try out for yourself.
Potassium rich foods include dates, figs, apricots, yams, tomatoes, bananas and melons. If you eat a lot of potassium rich foods. It might be worth cutting down and seeing if this makes a difference would be beneficial.
6. Cut down on fruit juices
Fruit juices are acidic and although we make think of them as healthy, they can be a major cause of an irritated bladder. Keep these fruits and juices to a minimum:
- Citrus fruits and drinks
- Tart-tasting fruits, such as Granny Smith apples, grapes and cherries
- Cranberry juice, although great in mild cases of cystitis, can be a major irritant for the bladder
- Vinegar and vinegar-based dressings
- Carbonated drinks
- Anything pickled
- Sour yogurts
- Tomato juice, acidic sauces and salsa
7. Cut back on spicy foods
You may love a curry as a weekend treat, but anything hot or highly spiced can be a major cause of bladder irritation. Again, it is because they stimulate the body so consider cutting out or decreasing your intake of spiced foods, including chilli peppers, salted fish and meats, as well as instant soups, noodles and some stock cubes and gravies.
8. Avoid fat-free and diet products
Manufacturers create all kinds of products to entice us to buy their food and drink items and putting the words ‘diet’ or ‘low fat’ is a sure fire winner to attract attention. With obesity and being over-weight topical issues, trying to cut down on calorie intake when we can without cutting down on flavour or convenience is what everyone looks for.
Unfortunately, some of these diet or low fat products contain artificial sweeteners called aspartame and saccharin, two known bladder irritants. So that sugar-free drink or low-fat yogurt may actually be causing you a few bladder issues.
It can seem like a long list of ‘don’ts’ which can make food and drink choices feel rather boring. But, for many people who suffer from urge or stress incontinence, combined with pelvic floor exercises and medication, choosing wisely what they eat and drink can make a huge difference to managing their bladder and bowels.
HARTMANN Direct supplies incontinence products to both private customers and commercial consumers, such as health care settings. With a range of products to suit all needs, HARTMANN Direct products are high quality, as well as delivered discreetly ensuring confidence in all aspect of managing incontinence.
