The Overactive Bladder Diet

More than 33 million Americans have OAB, and if you’re one of them, you probably pay close attention to how much you drink. But what you may not realize is that it’s worth taking a look at your entire diet. That’s because there are certain foods that can aggravate your bladder while there are others that may actually help stop frequent urination. In this episode we discuss what you may want to put on - and keep off - your plate to help treat your symptoms.

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Music:
Rainbows Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Transcript

Thanks for joining us for another episode of Life Without Leaks. Today we’re going to talk about the Overactive Bladder Diet. More than 33 million Americans have OAB – a condition where you have an urgent and frequent need to empty your bladder, sometimes with leakage. And if you’re one of them, you probably pay a lot of attention to how much you drink. But what you may not realize is that it’s worth taking a look at your entire diet.

That’s because there are certain foods that can aggravate your bladder while there are others that may actually help stop frequent urination. Before we get into the detail, though, it’s important to stress that there are a number of treatment options for people with OAB, so the very best thing you can do for your symptoms is to see a doctor. 

When you do, one of the things that you’re likely to hear is that in addition to whatever medical treatments might make sense for you, an important part of addressing your condition is to take a close look at what’s in your kitchen. 

Diet plays a huge role in your bladder health. Eating the right foods can help calm an overactive bladder, and eating the wrong foods may just make your symptoms worse.

It’s easy to see why. The urine your body creates is made up of the liquid waste that your kidneys filter from your blood. Traces of the foods and beverages you consume can end up in your urine, which is then stored in the bladder. Some of the foods you eat can irritate your bladder, causing bladder spasms – that’s that “I-gotta-go-right-now” feeling, and they can even lead to bladder leaks.

So what can and can’t you eat if you have OAB? While certain foods are commonly known irritants, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone is different, and what one person may find irritating may have absolutely no effect on another. It’s sometimes hard to pinpoint which foods are triggers to you personally if you’re not keeping a close eye on what you eat. 

A bladder diary can help, because it makes it easy to track what you eat, what you drink and when you have bladder leaks or urgency. Over time, you may be able to see a pattern and pick out the foods or drinks that frequently lead to those extra trips to the bathroom. NAFC has a free bladder diary available online, and we’ll include a link in the show notes so you download your copy today. 

Now, when it comes to which foods can irritate your bladder, you might be surprised by just how many there are. They include:

·       Alcoholic beverages

·       Dairy like milk, milk products and sour cream 

·       Carbonated beverages, including seltzer

·       Sports drinks

·       Almost anything caffeinated, but even decaf coffee and tea

·       Sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup and honey

·       Chocolate

·       Acidic foods like citrus, vinegar and tomatoes

·       Spicy foods

·       Raw onion

·       Soy sauce and strawberries 

·       You should even check things like the vitamins and medicines you take, because they may have caffeine or sweeteners that you’ll want to avoid.

And one special thing to note for those who have a sensitivity to gluten is that gluten is a known bladder irritant, so eliminating foods with wheat, rye and barley may help alleviate some of your symptoms of OAB.

Now if that list is a little disheartening, there’s good news, too: There are lots of great, satisfying foods that you can add to your diet that may help improve your symptoms. They include: 

Lean proteins like fish, chicken breast, turkey, low-fat beef, and pork. Eggs are also a good source of protein if you’re trying to avoid meat.

Fiber-rich foods like almonds, oats, pears, raspberries, lentils, and beans. These foods are filling and can help prevent constipation, which can put extra pressure on your bladder.

Fruits can be an important part of your diet, too. While you’ll want to avoid irritating fruits like citrus, other choices like bananas, apples, grapes, coconut and watermelon are all good options for people with overactive bladder.

Vegetables like leafy greens, like kale, lettuce, cucumber, squash, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, celery and bell peppers are good choices, as are nuts and whole grains, like oats, barley, farro, and quinoa, which also happens to be a great protein.

Remember to use that diary to keep track of your consumption so you can identify which foods seem to calm your bladder and which ones aggravate your symptoms.

One approach that a lot of people find works well for them is to start strictly by eliminating all the foods from the “do not eat” list and then slowly reintroduce them into their diet.  This makes is especially easy to determine which ones are causing you trouble.  

It’s also worth pointing out is that it’s not just what you consume but how much you consume that’s important, too – especially when it comes to liquids. People with OAB are keenly aware of how much they drink, and nobody is surprised that drinking too much can have you running to the bathroom more than you’d like – especially if you’re a fan of carbonated or caffeinated beverages. 

But what you may not know is that drinking too little can be a problem too. That’s because it can make your urine concentrated, and that’s more irritating to the lining of your bladder. It can also cause constipation, and like we just mentioned, that puts increased pressure on the bladder which can further exacerbate your symptoms.

A good goal is to aim for the recommended daily amount of water intake – generally, around 6-to-8 8-ounce services of liquid a day – and if you’re not counting, a good rule of thumb is to just drink enough so that you don’t feel thirsty.

Something else to take into consideration is that if you’re taking a medication to treat your overactive bladder, that medicine may have side effects which affect what you eat and drink. For example, a common side effect of some OAB medications is dry mouth. This may cause you to drink more water than normal, which could actually contribute to an increase in symptoms. If that’s something you’re experiencing, one strategy that some have found helpful is to keep an eye on how much water you’re consuming and try to take small sips throughout the day to avoid overloading your bladder.

Constipation is another potential side effect of OAB medications. If that’s something you’re dealing with, remember that fiber is your friend, so make a special effort to seek out fiber-rich foods.

When it comes to living with your medication regimen, though, the single most important thing you can do is talk to your doctor – they can help you with strategies to manage your symptoms, and they may be able to help you find alternate treatments when something isn’t working for you. 

OAB can be a frustrating condition and one that’s tricky to treat, but there’s a good chance you can make meaningful improvements with just a little bit of effort. Work with your doctor, incorporate some of the tips we’ve discussed today, and you may soon find yourself on the road to drier days.

Life Without Leaks has been brought to you by the National Association for Continence. Our music is Rainbows by Kevin MacLeod. More information about NAFC is available online at NAFC. org.