Lifestyle & Behavioral Changes Urgency, Bladder Control Treatments

Bladder Irritants

Many foods/ drinks can cause bladder irritation and worsen your urgency, urinary symptoms. Try to eliminate these items from your diet and see if your symptoms improve:

Alcohol
Caffeine (Coffee, Tea)
Chocolate
Citrus fruits (oranges, apples, tomatoes)
Spicy Food
Artificial Sweetener
Nicotine

Fluid Intake

The more you drink, the more you will go to the restroom
There is no data that indicates we need eight cups (8 oz glasses) of fluid daily. Most people meet fluid intake by following thirst
20% of fluid intake is from dietary intake
Here are Some Tips:
- You do not need to carry around a large bottle/container with you
- Use a small cup
- Chew a sugar free-gum for a dry mouth

Weight Loss

Weight Loss & Urinary Incontinence

A decrease in urinary incontinence may be a benefit among the health improvements associated with moderate weight loss and support

A 6-month behavioral intervention targeting weight loss reduced the frequency of self-reported urinary-incontinence episodes among overweight and obese women as compared with a control group

The intervention group had a mean weight loss of 8.0% (17lbs) after 6 months, women in the weight-loss group than in the control group reported a clinically meaningful reduction of at least 70% in the total weekly number of episodes of any incontinence, stress incontinence, and urge incontinence