The Connection Between Bladder Sensitivity And Food Irritants 

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The Connection Between Bladder Sensitivity And Food Irritants 

People suffering from bladder sensitivity may know the dreaded feeling and the sudden need to visit the toilet quickly. The truth is that bladder sensitivity is not uncommon and many people are suffering from this condition. As a full service pharmacy in Los Angeles, we share some important things that you should know about bladder sensitivity and food irritants. 

Causes Of Bladder Sensitivity 

There are mainly two things that might be causing bladder irritation, these are: 

Cystitis: It is an inflammation of the bladder that is usually caused by a urinary tract infection (UTI). As per medical experts, some food items, prescription medications, and even hygiene products can result in inflammation. 

Interstitial Cystitis: This is another urinary condition that affects between three to eight million women and between one to four million men in the country. This is a more acute and long-term issue when compared to cystitis. 

Both these conditions can result in bladder irritation leading to a persistent need to urinate more often. It can also lead to an urge to urinate even after emptying your bladder, bladder pain, and bladder spasms. 

Diet And Bladder 

An effective way to relieve pain in the bladder and control other symptoms is via your diet. Avoiding bladder-irritating food items, and having soothing foods can help control the uncomfortable feeling and urgency to urinate. Some of the food items that you need to avoid include: 

Caffeine: Caffeine is a powerful substance that can enhance bladder activity. It is present in cocoa beans, tea leaves, and coffee beans. Drinking coffee, consuming OTC medications, eating foods and drinking sodas containing caffeine can lead to urgency or incontinence. 

Artificial Sweeteners: Some of the commonly used artificial sweeteners include acesulfame K, aspartame, and sodium saccharin are shown in some of the studies to negatively impact bladder function. Results from a few research showed that episodes of urgency and frequent urination increased with the consumption of beverages that contain artificial sweeteners. 

Alcohol: It has been clinically shown that alcohol is a bladder stimulant that can trigger the symptoms of urgency. Moreover, it can act as a diuretic and induce frequent urination, especially in females. 

Apart from these items, fruits like grapefruit, orange, tomato products, lemon, pineapple, spicy foods, chili, horseradish, fruit juices like cranberry juice, orange juice, grape juice, pineapple juice, artificial sweeteners like Saccharin, NutraSweet, etc, should also be avoided.