Bladder health
Helping your bladder
Six things you can do to calm an irritated bladder, starting with the foods and drinks that commonly irritate it.
1. Reduce or eliminate foods and drinks that irritate your bladder
Not all of these irritate every bladder. To find out what irritates yours, eliminate all of them, then slowly reintroduce them one at a time, one day apart.
Drinks to avoid
- Caffeinated beverages. Coffee and sodas such as Coke and Pepsi are irritating and cause your kidneys to make lots of urine. Even decaf coffee has tannic acid, which can irritate your bladder.
- Tea, including iced tea
- Alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is both a diuretic (you make more urine) and irritating to your bladder.
- Cranberry juice. Its acidity can worsen urinary frequency.
- Milk
- Carbonated beverages. Even Sprite, decaf Coke, and similar drinks.
- Vinegar
- Preservatives such as citric acid and benzyl alcohol
- Artificial ingredients and food colors
Foods to avoid
- Tomatoes and tomato products
- Spicy foods, such as curry and MSG (Mexican, Indian, Thai, and Chinese foods)
- Sugar, honey, and corn syrup
- Chocolate, including pudding and cakes
- Aspartame and saccharine. Read food labels, since many foods contain artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet.
- Citrus fruit and juices such as orange, lemon, and grapefruit
- Excessive dairy products such as yogurt and sour cream
- Aged cheeses, especially soft brie-type or hard cheeses
- Natural diuretics such as cantaloupe, watermelon, asparagus, and cucumber, which make your body produce more urine
- Most nuts (almonds, cashews, and pine nuts are okay)
Foods and drinks you can have
2. Quit smoking
- Nicotine is colorless, addictive, and poisonous to your body, and it can cause unnecessary bladder contractions.
- Smokers have a higher risk of complications after surgery and may not heal as well.
- Chronic smokers have very bad lungs. Coughing exerts downward, damaging pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor.
- Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of bladder cancer.
3. Drink appropriate amounts of fluid
- Don’t dehydrate yourself, and don’t be afraid to drink water. Too little water makes your urine concentrated, which irritates the bladder.
- Don’t drink water excessively, even if you’re on a diet. Too much makes too much urine, which can overwhelm your urinary tract and bladder.
- The ideal amount of fluid is 1,500 ml (about 6 cups) to 2,000 ml (about 8 cups) a day.
4. Reduce emotional stress
In today’s world, people wear many hats and are multi-taskers. You may be the caregiver to your children and aging parents, a confidant to your partner, climbing the corporate ladder, and taking care of your household. Nerves can adversely affect your bladder by making it too active.
- Identify your biggest stressors and try to eliminate them.
- Find ways to relax. Simple meditation for 10 minutes a day can refresh you. Try yoga, get more sleep, and exercise regularly.
- If all of these fail, you may need professional therapy.
5. Adopt healthy bowel habits
- If your rectum is constantly full of stool, it presses against your bladder and irritates it. It can also make your bladder hold less urine, so you have to go more often.
- Have bowel movements on a routine basis. The best time is in the morning, after breakfast.
- Relieve constipation with a diet high in fiber (at least 30 to 40 grams per day). You may also want to supplement with fiber pills or powder such as Metamucil or Citrucel.
6. If you are overweight, try to lose weight
- Obesity is a risk factor for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
- Obese patients can also have worse results after surgery, because of difficulty with the surgery or because of infection and poor healing.
- Try to change your eating habits and exercise regularly (at least 3 to 4 times per week).
- You may need to join a weight loss program to keep your motivation and lose weight in a healthy way.
This handout is for education and does not replace advice from your own healthcare provider.