How to Train Your Bladder: Tips to Stop Sudden Leaks

It's normal to feel some urgency to pee from time to time, especially after drinking lots of fluids or holding it for prolonged periods. But individuals experiencing frequent and extreme urges to pee, sometimes leaking before they're able to get to the bathroom, may have an overactive bladder (OAB). 

What is Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Why Does It Trigger Sudden Urges to Pee? 

Overactive bladder results from other conditions that affect the bladder muscles. These conditions can cause the bladder muscles to tighten on their own, eve when there's not much pee in the bladder for those muscles to hold back. When those muscles tighten involuntarily, it sends a signal to the rest of your body that you need to pee urgently, even if you don't have to.

Likewise, overactive bladder can make it difficult to control when you go to the bathroom, causing urinary incontinence. 

The conditions and life experiences that may cause OAB include: 

• Age-related illnesses: Individuals experiencing cognitive decline from age related illnesses may have an overactive bladder as they're less aware of their body's signal to pee. 
• Nerve conditions: nerve damage or conditions affecting the nerves can make the wrong signals pass between the brain and bladder, leading a person to pee when they're not on the toilet.
• Infections: Infections such as a UTI can cause the bladder to tighten on its own due to discomfort and irritation. 
• Hormonal deficiencies: Women in perimenopause experience drops in estrogen, which can increase the urge to pee.
• Unhealthy lifestyle/overweight: Having excess weight can put pressure on the bladder, making the urge to pee more common. Likewise, drinking lots of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can make it harder to read the signals the nerves are emitting to know when to go. 
• Pregnancy and childbirth: For women, pelvic floor muscles can weaken due to the wear of pregnancy and childbirth on the body. 
• Blockages in the bladder: Unwanted growths in the bladder, such as tumors or bladder stones, can cause OAB because they prevent pee from exiting properly and create discomfort in the area. 
• Enlarged prostate: For men, an enlarged prostate can irritate the bladder as it applies pressure to the area, sometimes causing urgency. 

Overactive bladder is common; however, women are at higher risk of developing an overactive bladder than men. Schenck Urology offers expertise in men's and women's urological health, helping us pinpoint the cause behind a patient's overactive bladder - whether it's from a condition listed above or another unique situation.

Bladder Retraining: How to Stop Bladder Leaks and Decrease Emergencies

Fortunately, it is possible to retrain your bladder, so you can go to the bathroom less and avoid sudden leaks. It takes some careful recording and mind over matter, but this is how you can do it. 

Step 1: Keep a Record of Bathroom Visits

The first step in retraining your bladder is to keep a journal of your trips to the bathroom. Record how often you go to the bathroom so you can start to see patterns; for example, do you go to the bathroom every hour, every two hours? Note this so you can begin the official training process. 

Step 2: Increase Time Between Going to the Bathroom

gradually increase the intervals between when you go to the bathroom to slowly train your bladder (and brain) to not react immediately to the urgent need to pee. Start by going to the bathroom when you normally do. Then, tack on an additional 15 minutes to every interval and slowly increase it from there, week by week. Go to the bathroom during those established time slots, even if you don't feel the need to. 

You may still experience urgency throughout this process - that's where mind over matter comes in. Relax your mind in a way that works best for you, telling yourself you don't need to immediately go to the bathroom the second you feed the urgency to urinate. Wait until the urgency goes away, then go to the bathroom. 

Step 3: Find a Schedule That Works For You

The goal is to increase the time between urinating to 2-4 hours. Over your training period, you'll find a urinary schedule that works. Once you have that nailed down, stick to that schedule. 

Dietary Triggers That Cause Overactive Bladder: What to Cut Out

The kidneys filter what you eat and drink, transforming any waste into urine and sending it to the bladder. However, some of your diet can be found in trace amounts in your urine, possibly irritating the bladder and causing urgency and leaks. 

There are some foods and beverages that may cause OAB:

• Alcoholic drinks
• Artificial sweeteners and sugar
• Citrus fruits and juices
• Coffee
• Raw onion
• Soda
• Soy sauce
• Spicy foods
• Strawberries
• Tea 
• Tomatoes 
• Vinegar

Likewise, here is the diet that supports bladder fubnction:

• Fiber-rich foods: Beans, almonds, lentils, and oats
• Fruits (minus citrus and strawberries)
• Lean proteins: Chicken, turkey, beef, and eggs
• Vegetables (minus tomatoes and raw onions)

Making these changes to your diet might not completely cure overactive bladder, but it can create some relief from the discomfort.