Lifestyle Changes To Help Manage Overactive Bladder

If you have an overactive bladder, then you will want to visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Your doctor might prescribe you a medication that will help reduce your symptoms. However, you may also be told to make some of the following lifestyle changes, which can help reduce the frequency and urgency with which you have to urinate.

Drink mostly in the morning

It is still important to get enough to drink when you have an overactive bladder. You don't want to become dehydrated, as that could negatively impact your health in other ways. However, you should pay attention to when in the day you drink. Try to drink more of your liquids in the morning, and stop drinking early in the evening. This way, you won't have to wake up and urinate as many times in the night. If you have trouble remembering to drink in the morning, try setting a reminder alarm to go off every hour, at first. Within a few weeks, it should become a habit, and you can turn off the alarm.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine often works as a diuretic, causing your body to produce more urine. It may also "excite" the muscles in your bladder, which would make your bladder too reactive. Alcohol can also cause you to have to urinate more frequently. Try to steer clear of these substances entirely. If you currently drink a lot of coffee, you may have to slowly wean yourself onto decaf to avoid headaches from withdrawing from caffeine. 

Maintain a healthy weight

If you are overweight, that could be making your overactive bladder symptoms worse. The excess body fat could be putting more pressure on your bladder. Being overweight also affects your hormone levels, which could make your overactive bladder worse. Work with a personal trainer, dietitian, and other professionals to lose weight slowly and healthily. If you are already at a healthy weight, work to maintain that weight through diet and exercise. It can be surprising what going for a walk a few times a week will do for your overall health and weight.

An overactive bladder can be quite a nuisance to live with. If you follow your doctor's instructions for treatment and lifestyle changes, though, you should find that your symptoms diminish. Remember to be patient, too. The changes and treatments that are effective for an overactive bladder sometimes take a couple of weeks to have full effect.

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