Did you know specific food and drinks can irritate your bladder?

Do you ever feel strong urinary urgency or frequency? Do you have urinary incontinence? Have you been diagnosed with a bladder control problem, overactive bladder, or interstitial cystitis? If so, you may notice some days symptoms can be worse than others. This can be attributed to the TYPES of foods and drinks you consume, also referred to as bladder irritants. Bladder irritants can aggravate symptoms such as bladder pain, urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency.

Common Bladder Irritants include:

1. Coffee 
2. Tea
3. Artificial Sweeteners
4. Caffeine 
5. Medications with caffeine¹
6. Alcohol 
7. Soda 
8. Citrus fruit
9. Food with tomatoes
10. Chocolate 
11. Spicy foods²

If you are someone suffering from the symptoms mentioned above, possibly try avoiding these foods and drinks for two weeks and see if it has any positive effects. Then slowly add one by one to see if you can rule out which ones specifically are triggering for you. Although there is not much evidence or research about bladder irritants for bladder health, it is still considered a part of clinical care, widely agreed upon by urologists and clinicians. The American Urological Association considers behavior and lifestyle changes as a form of first-line treatment. They also mention that “behavioral therapies are most often implemented by advanced practice nurses (e.g., continence nurses) or physical therapists with training in pelvic floor therapy”³.

Here at Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy, we have a great team of passionate physical therapists that specialize in pelvic floor therapy and can help assist with bladder symptoms. Give us a call today and make an appointment at any of our three locations- Glendale/Montrose (Glendale), Sherman Oaks, or Beverly Hills.

References:

1. 1. Wyman JF, Burgio KL, Newman DK. Practical aspects of lifestyle modifications and behavioural interventions in the treatment of overactive bladder and urgency urinary incontinence. Int J Clin Pract. 2009;63(8):1177-91.
2. 2. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/overactive-bladder-(oab)
3. 3. https://www.auanet.org/guidelines/incontinence-non-neurogenic-overactive-bladder-(2012-amended-2014)