10 Tips for a Healthy Bladder

Water—What Every Bladder Craves!

We don't really think much about our bladder, until it stops doing its job. And your bladder has a very important one! Actually two: storing urine, and emptying urine. These functions may sound simple, but we all know how miserable we can feel if something goes wrong with either one.

Functions of the Bladder

Storing urine

Problems with this function can look like:

• The urge to urinate often, which causes running to the bathroom frequently

• Bladder urgency, making it difficult to make it to the bathroom in time

• "Key in the door" syndrome—when you arrive home and put your key in the door, you all of a sudden have a strong urge to urinate and have to run!

• Waking up at night and having to pee

• Leaking when you cough, sneeze, yell, play with your kids, exercise, or get up from a chair after sitting awhile

• Pain or discomfort with a full bladder

Emptying urine

Problems with this function can look like:

• Slow emptying of your bladder—this may make you try to push or strain to empty it faster (not a good habit!), or it may just take a long time to fully empty

• Incomplete emptying of your bladder, which can then make you have to go more frequently

• Pain during and/or after emptying your bladder—common causes of this can include bladder infections, and something called painful bladder syndrome and interstitial cystitis

So what can one do to help avoid the above scenarios? Give the below tips a try!

10 Tips for a Healthy Bladder

1. Drink enough water

We've all heard this before, but that's because it is so important. Remember, our bladder is an organ that needs fluid running through it regularly in order to function optimally. Just like our muscles need exercise, our bladder needs healthy fuel (i.e., liquids, usually water) on a regular basis to function in tip top shape. Click here for more tips from Mayo Clinic on drinking water.

2. Limit the intake of drinks (and foods) that can irritate the bladder

This is especially important if you have symptoms of discomfort or pain with a full bladder, or during/after urinating. These include drinks with caffeine and/or carbonation, drinks that are acidic, as well as alcoholic drinks. Water is best! I know, boring, but true... Some acidic fruits, like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes and some fruit juices, can also irritate your bladder,