Bladder Problems

Bladder problems ranging from incontinence to recurring urinary tract infections can be painful, embarrassing and life altering.   They can prevent a woman from enjoying certain sports, sexual fulfillment and socializing.  Unfortunately, many women don't like talking bladder problems and many doctors have troubles treating these conditions successfully.  It can be a lonely and frustrating road.  Happily, there are solutions!

As our hormones decline, the lining of the vagina and urethra, the outlet of the bladder, become thinner.  In addition, gradual weakening of the pelvic floor muscles can result in an inability to hold urine properly, causing leakage when coughing, laughing, sneezing or jumping.  Uterine or bladder prolapse can also lead to bladder problems, preventing the bladder from filling to capacity and emptying completely.  Changes in bladder habits can also be the symptom of more serious conditions, so check with your healthcare practitioner for answers.

Your lifestyle influences your health tremendously and when it comes to bladder problems, it's no different.  Alcohol, caffeinated beverages, high acid foods like tomatoes and oranges, drinking too much fluid at bedtime and not enough fluids during the day as well as being overweight all have an influence on the function of your bladder. 

The easiest way to improve your  bladder control is through changing a few lifestyle factors.

• Caffeinated beverages and alcohol act as diuretics as well as irritants; avoid drinking either in the evening or just before you are going out. 
• Smoking can also irritate the bladder and with all the other negative affects of cigarettes it may just be time to throw out your last pack! 
• Food allergies can cause a loss of sensation, impairing your ability to feel when you have to void.  See your naturopathic doctor for electro dermal food sensitivity testing to find out what your food triggers are.
• Avoid overly acidic or acid forming foods.  Try incorporating more vegetarian meals into your diet.
• An exercise program that involves heavy weights or high impact exercises can affect your pelvic floor muscles.  You may want to modify your program.
• Surgery and medical treatments.  There are medications that can help inhibit the contractions of an overactive bladder, relax muscles to empty the bladder more fully, tighten muscles at the bladder neck and urethra and medication like hormones to help normalize muscle function.  Before considering medical intervention however, I would encourage you to try natural solutions first.
• Electrical stimulation can be used to help with both stress incontinence (urine leaks out when coughing, laughing, sneezing or lifting) and urge incontinence (insufficient warning of the need to void).
• The most natural and least invasive treatments are those you can do yourself.  They incorporate pelvic floor exercises, and phytoestrogenic foods and specific nutrients.

Here is a program I discovered on fixing your leaky bladder. Check it out!