Dr. Ashley, did you just say piss off the bladder?
Yes, friend, that's exactly what I said.
If you've ever been out with the gals celebrating with bottles of bubbly and realized that you take a few extra trips to the bathroom when drinking alcohol than normally during the day? That's because alcohol and bubbly things are common bladder irritants. The bladder makes sure these guys don't extend their stay and kicks them out (aka sending you to the loo to flush them out). The medical term for having to pee all the time is urinary frequency. Urinary frequency isn't always due to irritants, but it may start that way and turn into a habit. The bladder thinking it needs to empty often because it's used to it.
I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, my parents always made sure I peed before I got in the car to go places.
I took it upon myself to triple check no pee was left behind in fear that I'd have to go in the car, again.
I could've asked my parents to pull over so I could pee, but that didn't come to mind. I didn't want to inconvenience anyone to stop for me to pee, so I made sure to get out all the pee BEFORE getting in the car.
Little did I know I was setting myself up for some pretty bad bladder habits.
That small habit was like a tumble weed. It gathered strength the more I did it. I peed 4x before going to sleep. Yes, I admit, I would pee, get it bed, think about if I have to pee again, try again and repeat about 4x each night. My bladder took control over me. I pissed it off by over doing the common "pee before you get in bed or the car" habits.
Here's some good news, once I learned this was hindering my bladder, I trained it, like a new puppy that needs some obedience. I took back control over my bladder and my childhood habits are no longer haunting me into adulthood.
While on the topic of bladder's getting pissed off, or causing us to wanna pee often, I can't just blame habits. Sometimes, the bladder is actually irritated by what's inside it.
Here's a short list of the most common bladder irritants:
1. Alcohol
2. Caffeine
3. Refined sugars
4. Carbonation
5. Citrus
6. Acidic foods
7. Tea
8. Spicy foods
This is not an extensive list and just because it's on the list doesn't mean it irritates YOUR bladder.
The best way to investigate bladder irritants is to keep a bladder diary for a few days. Think of it as a food journal following a daily timeline: write down what you eat/drink and when, measure how much you pee (also the time of day). Then look for patterns. Did you go more frequently after eating/drinking a specific thing?
Its advised to have a professional, like a pelvic floor PT, analyze this with you because they know what to look for and can give you guidance moving forward to resolve the issue.
Want some help with this? Go here to book a clarity call with me.