What To Avoid If You Have A Hyperactive Bladder?

A hyperactive bladder can allow some of the urine to escape at any time without giving a little warning. It’s a problem that can be more than annoying. However, the good news is that we can resolve this condition if we treat it early and correctly. 

In this article, we’ll look at the foods to avoid if you’re hoping to solve the problems of a hyperactive bladder.

What you need to know about a hyperactive bladder

Before we look at how to deal with the problem, it is a good idea to know a little more about it. Hyperactive bladder, also known as ‘overactive bladder’, affects many people. Someone who suffers from two or more of the following symptoms may have an overactive bladder:

• Urinating more than eight times a day and twice at night without drinking too much.
• Strong, repeated urge to go to the bathroom.
• Loss of fluid after urination.

Several causes can be the cause of a loss of bladder control. Usually the main culprits are causes such as:

• nerves
• stress
• Excessive coffee consumption
• Drinking very large amounts of water

In addition, about 20% of cases occur in people who have a neurological disorder. Think of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors or spina bifida.

In people who suffer from hyperactive bladder, the problems can eventually make them unable to participate in certain activities. Likewise, they may have feelings of shame about the condition.

The sudden need to go to the bathroom and leakage of urine on the way can cause social isolation and problems at work. After all, it is likely that the patient will eventually expend a lot of mental energy worrying about the problem.

Foods to avoid if you have an overactive bladder have

There are several treatments available for this condition.

• Some are prescribed by a medical professional, such as a botox injection.
• Others are related to daily habits. These include physical exercises to strengthen the pelvis and a diet that discourages the intake of certain drinks and infusions.

If you are one of the many people who suffer from hyperactive bladder, we recommend that you avoid the following foods:

Highly spicy food

Indian sauces, Mexican dishes, Asian foods, spicy chili… They can be delicious, but they can also cause problems when it comes to the health of your urinary tract.

Think about it: If eating a dish burns your mouth, doesn’t it do exactly the same to the inside of the bladder? The answer to this question is ‘yes’!

Highly spicy foods and spicy herbs will aggravate the symptoms of the condition. That is why we recommend that you reduce the amount you use when preparing meals or even avoid these products altogether.

Sugary foods

Sweets – just like any food that contains a large amount of sugar – can be dangerous to your health. The same can be said for desserts that contain artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.

They all increase the need to urinate and irritate the bladder.  In addition, they are a source of a large amount of calories.

This is why it is a good idea to avoid candies, cookies, cakes and other sweet treats. Why would you rather not eat fresh and dried fruit ? This is a great, tasty and healthy alternative.

Coffee

Caffeine has several negative effects on the body that are worth noting. For example, it causes hyperactivity of the brain, heart and bladder. That is why drinking too much coffee makes the bladder work excessively hard. This then worsens the symptoms of a hyperactive bladder.

However, coffee is not the only commonly consumed beverage that can increase the amount of urine the bladder has to process on a daily basis. In addition, soft drinks (especially cola), certain types of tea and hot chocolate are also culprits.

Blueberry or lemon juice

There’s no doubt that blueberries are great for your blood and heart health. In addition, they are highly recommended for people with hypertension and diabetes. Plus, they’re a great tool for fighting urinary tract infections.

However, one of the side effects they can have is that they make the symptoms of hyperactive bladder worse. The acid in these small berries makes us have to go to the toilet more often.

In addition, you should also avoid citric acid or acidic drinks such as orange juice and grapefruit juice and the like. And that while their high content of vitamin C makes them very suitable for boosting the immune system.

For those who suffer from urinary incontinence, these fruits are not recommended. This is because they contain elements that further irritate the bladder.

Alcohol

In addition, alcohol can have a lot of side effects, especially if you drink too much of it. Precisely because it is a potent diuretic, that is one of the effects that irritates the bladder.

For example: every time you drink a beer, you are clearly drinking liquid. At the same time, the alcohol in the beer speeds up the functioning of the kidneys, which means that the bladder has to work faster to drain the fluid.

Unlike beer, wine is recommended for people with a hyperactive bladder. A glass of wine is recommended.  This is because it does not have the same stimulating effects on the kidneys as beer. In addition, it has many potential benefits for the cardiovascular system.

tomatoes

Tomatoes are a very acidic product. That is why they have a potentially harmful effect on bladder and urinary tract health. And besides , they contain a large amount of water and have a strong diuretic effect.

If you eat cooked tomato, it’s even worse. Especially if the tomato is consumed in the form of a sauce. This is because many people add sugar to tomato sauce to “mask” the slightly sour taste. As we discussed above, sugary foods are not recommended for those with incontinence.

A great technique for making delicious lower sugar sauces is to add raw grated carrot. You can also try adding a small amount of cream, milk, or even baking soda to the mixture. All this will help counteract the tomato’s natural acidity.

Featured Image Courtesy of © wikiHow.com