Living Well Tips With a Sensitive Bladder

Tired of always needing to use the bathroom? If you’re someone with a sensitive bladder, you might feel alone and even embarrassed. Continually having to excuse yourself to go to the restroom might be a pain, but here’s some advice. Don’t be embarrassed!

40% of women living in the United States experience symptoms due to a sensitive bladder, so you’re not alone. While it might feel great to know you’re not alone, that definitely won’t help when it comes to dealing with it. Here’s how you can live well while dealing with a sensitive or overactive bladder.

What Is a Sensitive Bladder?

A sensitive bladder or overactive bladder is when your bladder is unable to hold more urine. While you might think this means your bladder is actually full, this just means that your nerves are sending a message to your brain that your bladder needs to be empty even though it doesn’t.

Who Experiences a Sensitive Bladder?

Everyone! A sensitive bladder doesn’t specifically target any particular gender, but while this is true, it affects 30% of men and 40% of women. It is also a trend that an overactive bladder is common in men who’ve experienced prostate issues and postmenopausal women. With that being said, there is still no clear-cut reason as to how a sensitive bladder is caused.

What Are the Symptoms?

For the symptoms of a sensitive bladder, you could probably easily guess a few of them. Frequent urination is the main one. A big part of having a sensitive bladder means having to use the restroom numerous times a day, usually at a minimum of 8 times. This also leads to being unable to “hold it.” Usually, when you need to urinate, you should be able to hold it in, but for those with a sensitive bladder, this becomes almost impossible.

Another inconvenient symptom is called nocturia. This is when you find yourself constantly waking up during sleep to use the bathroom. All of these symptoms are inconvenient and can make simple things difficult, but what can you do about it?

How Do You Deal With It?

One of the first things you can do is talk to a urologist. A sensitive bladder can be treated, and you’ll just need to speak to someone who specializes in incontinence.

There are also a good number of at home tips you can try:

Watch what you drink. There are tons of food that not only irritate the bladder, but they cause it to fill up more quickly. This list starts with caffeinated drinks and alcohol. Both of these drinks irritate the bladder and already cause those who don’t deal with a sensitive bladder to use the restroom constantly. This list of drinks also includes spicy foods and citrus fruits.

Don’t leave the bathroom right away. This might sound weird. After you use the bathroom and empty your bladder, don’t get up just yet! Instead, sit there for a few seconds. After the wait, try going again. This is particularly beneficial for those who are unable to empty their bladder on the first try fully.

Do Kegels. Kegels are a new thing that a lot of people are trying. This exercise usually flexes the muscles of the pelvis. These exercises are said to help those with an overactive bladder relax the muscles which release the pounding urgency to use the restroom.

Having a sensitive bladder is nothing to be embarrassed about, but the truth is, many people are! Instead of hiding it and trying to deal with it on your own, talk to a urologist and try these tips so you can live your life!

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