The Connection Between Food Irritants And Bladder Health
You may have felt the need to head to the bathroom often and quickly. For many people, bladder sensitivity is a common thing and as per the experts, there can be mainly two causes of bladder sensitivity. They are:
Cystitis
It is an inflammation of the bladder and mostly, it is caused by a urinary tract infection. There are also some food items, beverages, medications, and even some hygiene products that can result in inflammation.
Interstitial Cystitis
It is a more acute and long-term issue when compared to normal cystitis and affects between three and eight million women and between one and four million men in the country.
Both these conditions can result in bladder irritation which results in an urge to urinate more often than normal. There can also be bladder spasms, need to urinate even after emptying your bladder, and bladder pain.
The Connection Between Diet And Your Bladder
Diet can be a very good way to ease bladder pain and control the symptoms. Avoiding bladder irritating food items and having soothing food can help prevent the uncomfortable pain and urgency. Remember to avoid the following foods:
Caffeine
Caffeine is a very powerful substance that can result in increased bladder activity. Drinking coffee, sodas, tea, eating food items or over-the-counter medications containing caffeine can lead to frequency, urgency, or urinary incontinence.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a bladder stimulant that can trigger symptoms of urgency. Also, it is a diuretic and can result in a raised frequentness of urination.
Artificial Sweeteners
Some of the artificial sweeteners like acesulfame K and sodium saccharin are shown to negatively affect bladder function in some studies. It was found that the frequency of urination and urgency increased with the consumption of drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.
Other food items would not irritate the bladder as long as these food items are not combined with spicy or acidic foods and these include whole milk, water, blueberries, bananas, some fruits like raisins, honeydew melon, watermelon, pears, and cucumber. Mild cases of bladder irritation can be eased by having these food items. However, severe cases will need prescription medications for the symptoms to cure completely.
When it comes to easing the stress of bladder issues, you will also need to consider lifestyle changes and get rid of excess body weight. This is because the presence of excess belly fat can increase the chances of urinary incontinence due to the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, leading to leaks when laughing, coughing, sneezing, etc.