Did you know, your bladder health can affect your sex life? Conditions like Interstitial Cystitis, Bladder Pain Syndrome, Stress urinary incontinence, etc. cause bladder issues during sex. However, these issues can easily be manageable with certain lifestyle changes. Learn tips to manage your bladder issues for better intimacy in this article. You can contact us by visiting our clinic or visiting our website at https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com.
Tips for Managing bladder issues for better intimacy
Here are some of the best tips to manage bladder issues to improve your intimacy:
- Avoid food and drinks that bother the bladder:
Certain foods and drinks are well-known to irritate your bladder. Drinks like diuretics (including caffeine or alcohol which produce more urine), tea, soda, and fizzy drinks, and foods like citrus fruits, chocolate, tomato-based foods, and spicy foods that affect your bladder.
You can remove these types of drinks and foods by taking them out of your diet, and then adding them back one at a time to find how your bladder responds to them. However, several foods like oatmeal, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans help you improve your digestion.
- Stop smoking:
Experts found that overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms are more common in people who currently smoke or who have smoked than people who don’t smoke or have never smoked. This happens because smoking affects vascular health which may lead to loss of oxygen to the bladder muscles.
Some research found that quitting smoking can reduce your symptoms of OAB, including the urgency associated with it, particularly in people aged between 20 and 49 years old who used to smoke. Some doctors also believe that chronic coughing that happens due to smoking can weaken your pelvic muscles that control the flow of urine, leading to stress incontinence.
- Pelvic floor exercises:
Pelvic floor muscles are responsible for supporting the bladder and controlling the flow of urine through the urethra. However, if it’s weakened or damaged, it can cause stress incontinence. To strengthen those muscles to prevent urinary incontinence, you can perform pelvic floor exercises which include Kegels, quick flicks, squats, biofeedback, and bridge.
Two clinical trials show that women who participate in pelvic floor muscle training notice twice as much improvement in their urinary incontinence than those who receive symptomatic care alone. They are also 5 times more likely to resolve their symptoms completely.
Those who had recent surgery, given birth recently, or have other health concerns should talk with their doctor before starting any exercise regimen.
- Eat a bladder-healthy diet:
Your urine contains liquid waste products from the food you eat, and some foods can cause irritation and muscle spasms in the bladder, creating more urgency to urinate. While there is no specific diet best for everyone with OAB because everyone’s body reacts differently to different foods. However, the National Association for Continence recommends avoiding acidic or citrusy foods which generally irritate your bladder. Dairy and gluten may also be problematic for some people’s tolerances.
That’s why you should focus on eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of different foods such as:
- Lean proteins, such as fish, chicken breast, turkey, low-fat beef, eggs, and pork.
- Fiber-rich foods include almonds, oats, pears, raspberries, lentils, and beans.
- Non-citrus fruits, such as bananas, apples, grapes, coconut, and watermelon.
- Vegetables, including kale, lettuce, cucumber, squash, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, celery, and bell peppers.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Whole grains, including oats, barley, farro, and quinoa.
To find the best diet plan for you, you can keep a bladder diary to find what foods can trigger your symptoms and start avoiding them.
- Avoiding lifting heavy objects:
Lifting heavy objects can put strain not only on your back and knees but also on your pelvic floor muscles. Without proper support from pelvic muscles, you’re more prone to stress incontinence and OAB (with or without urge incontinence) can occur.
That’s the reason people should avoid lifting heavy objects if they can. If you need to lift something, make sure you practice pelvic floor exercises before and during the lift to support the muscles in and around the bladder.
- Try to prevent constipation:
Constipation can cause the colon to swell and strain because of increased abdominal muscle pressure which severely affects the bladder muscles and increases the frequency and severity of the OAB symptoms.
To prevent constipation, you should eat more fiber in your diet, get regular exercise, and stay hydrated. Additionally, you can also try certain yoga poses including the Crescent Lunge, Cobra, and Legs up the Wall that relieve your constipation and promote healthy bowel movements.
In case you’re experiencing chronic constipation, then you should talk with your healthcare provider to learn different ways to manage your constipation more effectively, which may even include medications or physical therapy.
- Stay well hydrated:
While it may seem weird to drink water to prevent OAB, proper hydration is essential because your lower fluid intake can reduce the amount of urine your bladder can hold which means increasing your frequency to the bathroom.
Poor hydration can lead to constipation which also strains your pelvic muscles and adversely affects your bladder muscle.
Bladder issues like UTIs, incontinence catheters, IC, BPS, etc. can cause trouble in your life. Following the above-mentioned tips to manage bladder issues can improve your intimacy and daily life. However, if symptoms are persistent despite those changes, then talk with your doctor for medical treatment to improve your bladder issues.
If you need help with your bladder issues, visit our urological clinic in Brooklyn for professional medical treatment to get rid of your bladder problems. Call at -___________________ to book your appointment today.
You can schedule an appointment with Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center’s best urologist in Brooklyn and inquire about your concerns. Our specialists will work with you in managing your condition. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com/.