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Check what you eat for that overactive bladder

Over active bladder

Many people, especially women, tend to face tough times because of their inability to control urge to urinate. The situation worsens with age. Such people go through torturous time during long journeys, movies etc. It also hampers peaceful night sleep as the person needs to visit the washroom repeatedly. So, the condition hugely affects the quality of life of an individual. This problem is generally known as urge incontinence or over active bladder. Foods and beverages are said to play a major role in overactive bladder. Certain foods are known to be natural diuretics whereas there are a few foods which tend to irritate the bladder by making the kidney produce more urine. More urine production automatically results in frequent urinating. Foods can thus play a crucial role in soothing as well as worsening the overactive bladder issue. Read on to know about the various foods that can help you deal with the over active bladder.

Foods to be avoided

There are a certain foods that must be avoided at all costs as they tend to worsen the bladder over activity. Keep a track of all the foods and beverages that you consume and check your condition; this will help you identify what triggers the overactive bladder trouble so that you could avoid it next time. The following foods need to be avoided if you have overactive bladder:

1. Alcohol

Alcohol is known to increase urine production as it is a diuretic. You will have a natural urge to visit washroom after consuming alcohol. It does not matter in what form you take the alcohol. It could be beer, vodka, whiskey, rum etc. Not only does alcohol trigger the kidney to produce more urine but it also affects the bladder-controlling brains signals. People having over active bladder must shy away from alcohol to avoid visiting the washroom every now and then. Even a small intake can trigger over active bladder, thus you must abstain from it totally.

2. Carbonated drinks

Carbonated drinks are also capable of irritating a sensitive bladder. Carbonated drinks in any form be it seltzer water, soft drinks or club soda, need to be avoided to stay away from over active bladder. If you cannot cut down the consumption of fizzy drinks totally, it is recommended to at least reduce the quantity.

3. Caffeine

People suffering from the problem of urge incontinence need to bid goodbye to caffeine as it tends to trigger sensitive bladder. Caffeine is not just a stimulant for over active bladder but is also a diuretic which increases the urine production automatically. To face the situation effectively, you must cut down consumption of all foods that contain caffeine.

4. Citrus fruits and juices

Citrus fruits which tend to irritate the bladder and thus trigger incontinence, include lemon, lime, clementine, grapefruit, oranges, etc. Such fruits need to be avoided by people with overactive bladder problem.

5. Excessive liquid

People suffering from over active bladder need to cut down consumption of water and other liquids especially during night time. Do not cut down the consumption to a major extent, 7-8 glasses of water per day is still recommended to keep the body hydrated.

6. Dairy products

Dairy products are known to irritate the bladder making your visit washroom more frequent. Products like cheese, milk, sour cream, butter, etc should be avoided. A complete cut down is not advisable but reduction to some extent is highly recommended. Not everyone gets a trigger because of these products, it depends from person to person.

7. Processed foods

Preservatives, artificial flavoring agents, and additives tend to affect the bladder adversely leading to over active bladder. Read food labels before you buy any such food or better cook food at home as much as possible.

Foods to be consumed

One major cause of over active bladder is constipation, working on constipation problem will automatically help in soothing the over active bladder trouble. The following foods must be consumed by people who face over active bladder symptoms:

1. Whole grain foods

Whole grain foods like oatmeal, shredded wheat, popcorn, etc are highly recommended. This helps in decreasing constipation thereby affecting the overactive bladder issue positively.

2. Seeds, nuts and beans

Different type of nuts, seeds and beans are also recommended for people suffering from overactive bladder trouble. Peanuts, walnuts, kidney beans, sunflower seeds are all helpful.

3. Vegetable and fruits

Vegetables are also very good for people troubled by over active bladder. These are easily available and also very healthy. You can cook the veggies or even consume them raw. Vegetables like cabbage, corn, broccoli, spinach, yams, green peas and sweet potatoes are the suitable choices. Even fruits can be enjoyed by people with over active bladder. Blackberries, raisins, dates, apricots, etc are the best choices.

Besides taking care of the diet, people suffering from symptoms must do a few pelvic floor exercises on routine basis. This will make the abdominal muscles strong and ensure that the abdominal organs are healthy. This will combat the problem of constipation as well as over active bladder automatically.

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