5 Foods That Irritate The Bladder

Did you know that there are certain foods that irritate the bladder, aggravating incontinence? An overactive bladder can excrete urine at any time without warning.

Obviously, this problem is very annoying. The good news is that we can fix it if we start treating ourselves early and correctly. In today’s article we present the main foods that irritate the bladder, which it is good to avoid.

Some essential information about the overactive bladder

Before adopting any type of treatment it is important to know some essential information about the problem that affects you. Many people have an overactive bladder. You may be among them if:

• You urinate more frequently 8 times a day and twice a night (without drinking a lot of fluids)
• You feel an intense and frequent need to go to the toilet
• You lose fluids after urinating

Loss of control over the bladder can have several causes. The most common of these are:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Excessive coffee consumption
• Excessive water consumption

About 20% of patients with an overactive bladder suffer from Parkinson’s disease, spina bifida, or a brain tumor.

Affected people often feel that they are not able to get involved in certain activities. At the same time, they may feel embarrassed due to the symptoms experienced.

The sudden need to go to the toilet and the “leaks” that can occur before we get to the toilet can cause social isolation and problems at work. After all, an overactive bladder forces those affected to consume a lot of mental energy.

The main foods that irritate the bladder

We have many treatments available to remedy an overactive bladder.

• Some of these, such as Botox injections, can only be prescribed by a doctor.
• Others focus on daily habits. These include special exercises to strengthen the pelvis and diets poor in certain foods.

If you urinate very often, we advise you to avoid the following foods that irritate the bladder:

Spicy foods

Indian sauces, Mexican and Asian dishes, hot peppers… All these products are delicious, but can have a negative impact on the urinary system. Look at it this way: if your mouth burns when you eat them, won’t they have a similar impact on your bladder? The answer to this question is yes!

Spicy foods and spices aggravate the symptoms of an overactive bladder. For this reason, we advise you to avoid them altogether or to use them less often when cooking.

Sugar foods

Sweets (ie any type of sugar-rich preparation) are harmful to health. Artificial sweeteners used instead of sugar are just as dangerous.

All these products stimulate the need to urinate and fall into the category of foods that irritate the bladder. In addition, sweets have a very high caloric content.

Therefore, it is advisable to avoid candies, cookies, cakes and other similar sweets. Why not try to increase your intake of fresh or dehydrated fruit? With their help, you can serve a tasty and healthy dessert.

The coffee

Caffeine has several negative effects on the human body that are worth remembering. For example, it causes hyperactivity in the brain, heart and bladder.

This is why excessive coffee consumption overloads the bladder, which will exacerbate the symptoms of hyperactivity.

But coffee is not the only popular drink that increases the volume of urine that the bladder has to eliminate every day. Soft drinks (especially cola drinks), certain teas and hot chocolate have a similar effect.

Blueberry or citrus juices

Blueberries are unique and can be beneficial for blood and heart health. They are also recommended for people suffering from high blood pressure or diabetes and can be used to treat urinary tract infections.

But one of the unwanted side effects of blueberries is the exacerbation of symptoms caused by an overactive bladder. The acids in these small berries force us to go to the toilet more often.

For a similar reason it is good to avoid citrus or acidic drinks, such as orange or grapefruit juice, although they are rich in vitamin C and can strengthen the immune system. Patients with urinary incontinence should avoid these fruits because they have components that irritate the bladder.

Alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic beverages can cause many side effects, especially when consumed in excess. Being powerful diuretics, one of their effects is irritation of the bladder.

For example, every time you drink a beer, you ingest, of course, the actual liquid. At the same time, the alcohol in this drink overloads the kidneys, forcing the bladder to work faster to eliminate fluids.

Unlike beer, a glass of wine will be of great help to those who have an overactive bladder. This drink does not have the effect of beer and, in addition, offers benefits to the cardiovascular system.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are very acidic fruits, so they can have a negative effect on the health of the bladder and urinary tract. At the same time, they contain a lot of water and have a strong diuretic effect.

If you eat a ripe tomato, the negative effects will be even more intense, especially if you serve it in the form of a sauce. The problem is that many of us tend to add sugar to mask the slightly sour taste of tomato sauce. As mentioned earlier, sugar can worsen urinary incontinence.

An ideal way to prepare a delicious and low-sugar tomato sauce is to add a grated carrot. You can also try adding small amounts of cream, milk or even baking soda. All these ingredients will counteract the acidity of the tomatoes.

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