OAB: What to Drink and When
First, make water your preferred beverage. Added ingredients in sodas and energy drinks, and caffeine in coffee, may aggravate an overactive bladder. Staying hydrated is important to overall health. But for people with OAB, choosing how much and when to drink is essential.
You may pass urine more often than usual because of: Infection, disease, injury or irritation of the bladder. A condition that causes your body to make more urine. Changes in muscles, nerves or other tissues that affect how the bladder works.
Water is the best drink of choice to keep your bladder pain under control. It will also provide other benefits such as healthy skin, increased energy, reduced toxin levels, and a boosted metabolism. You'll want to stay away from acidic, caffeinated, or alcoholic beverages such as fruit juice, coffee, beer, and soda.
Lemon acts as a diuretic agent - encouraging the urinary bladder to expel more urine frequently and thus, increasing the chances of the bacteria to move out of the body.
Bananas and other high-fiber foods can be good for urinary tract health and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) by encouraging regular bowel movements and relieving pressure on urine flow.
Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, may help. People should gradually increase the holding time until there are 3 to 4 hour gaps between bathroom visits. This technique is helpful for those who feel like their bladder does not empty fully. It is also a good idea to double-void before bedtime.
Step Three: Peppermint Herbal Tea
You might be surprised to learn that peppermint has been proven in research studies to reduce smooth muscle bowel spasms. We think it has a calming and soothing effect on the bladder as well.
What foods calm the bladder? The American Urological Association also recognizes some foods as potentially having a calming effect on sensitive bladders. These foods include pears, bananas, green beans, squash, potatoes, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, bread, and eggs.
Sudden stress (pressure) on your bladder causes stress incontinence. Common causes include coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting and physical activity. Younger and middle-aged women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) near or experiencing menopause are most likely to have stress incontinence.
Drinking too much fluid during the evening can cause you to urinate more often during the night. Caffeine and alcohol after dinner can also lead to this problem. Other common causes of urination at night include: Infection of the bladder or urinary tract.
However, many people don't realize that eating yogurt can also play a positive role in your bladder's health too. Yogurt has active bacteria known as probiotics that your body needs. Studies show that eating yogurt may even reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer by keeping the cells of your bladder healthy.
Dairy products are known as bladder irritants. Those that can be especially bad are aged dairy products like aged cheese and sour cream. If you like dairy products, then you could try alternatives made from soy or almond milk.
You should start by eliminating, or at least cutting down, on the top seven irritants: coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, alcohol, artificial sweeteners and cigarettes. You should allow at least two weeks without the food or drink before noticing any change in your bladder control.
Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, chocolate and very spicy foods may make OAB symptoms worse. OAB does not cause pain. If you feel pain while urinating, you may have an infection . Please talk with your health care provider about pain.
Drink Plenty of Fluids to Flush Out Bacteria — But Don't Overdo It. Drinking plenty of water — six to eight glasses daily — can flush bacteria out of your urinary tract and help prevent bladder infections.
Baking soda is said to neutralize the acid in the urine, which allegedly reduces symptoms of a UTI and allows the body to fight the bacteria causing the infection. People who support this remedy also claim that baking soda can stop the infection from spreading to the kidneys.