The bladder affects your day-to-day wellbeing. Sadly, many people don’t give much thought to a healthy bladder.
Each day, an health adult will pass about a quart and a half of urine. When an adult involuntarily leaks urine it is called urinary incontinence. Incontinence can occur among adults of all ages, and there are three major types; stress, urge and mixed. This guide provides practical ways to maintain a healthy bladder.
1. Drink Enough Fluids
If you want to develop a healthier bladder, stay well hydrated. Four glasses of plain clear unflavored water is a great starting point. Water is a great fluid for bladder health so try to make half of your fluid intake be water.
Believe it or not, when you don’t drink plenty of water, your body gets used to holding fewer fluids. Too little fluids can lead to smelly, highly concentrated, dark yellow urine that irritates the bladder. This can cause burning when you urinate and may contribute to bladder infections.
2. Practice Good Urinating Techniques
Emptying your bladder the right way helps keep your kidneys function efficiently, in a healthy way. So, don’t rush when urinating.
Take your time to completely empty the bladder when you urinate. If the bladder retains urine for too long, it may lead to a bladder infection.
When you urinate, stay in a relaxed position to relax your bladder muscles. This makes emptying the bladder much easier. Women should avoid hovering over the toilet seat─ instead, they should sit on it. If you’re worried about sitting on a public toilet seat, find bathrooms with toilet seat covers.
3. Eat Healthy Food Choices
Maintaining a healthy diet can contribute to a healthy bladder. If you’re suffering from incontinence, try avoiding foods that are known to contribute to the conditions. Acidic foods, chocolate, sugary treats and spicy treats can irritate the bladder leading to incontinence.
Instead try foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are packed with anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Avoid Caffeine, Cigarettes and Alcohol
You may want to stick with drinking water if you’re suffering from incontinence. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee and sodas can irritate your blood and encourage urinary leakage. Avoiding bladder irritants may lead to significant improvement in bladder function.
5. Be Open to Help
If you involuntarily leak urine, speak directly to your licensed healthcare professional. It will help your health care professional if you keep a journal of how often you go to the bathroom.
Its an intensely personal subject, but by speaking up, you will help yourself and your courage could help others.
6. Exercise
General exercise training throughout life is important for health and wellbeing. Exercises that have receptive impact can weaken the pelvic floor muscles (e.g., trampolining, volleyball, basketball). When you talk to your healthcare professional about your exercise program, be sure to include in your work our a program for your pelvic floor muscles. A protocol for exercise should include pelvic muscle tone because the musculoskeletal structure is interactive.
Start Working On a Healthy Bladder Today
It is not uncommon for adults to not do their pelvic floor exercise correctly. In fact, studies suggest as many as two-thirds of all women do not do their pelvic floor exercise correctly. If you’ve been struggling with symptoms of inconvenience and want to improve your exercise technique, check out our solution Yarlap to help you with relief!
