Do you have the path to the mall restroom mapped? Are you afraid to leave home because there won\u2019t be a bathroom nearby when you need one?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the reality for the millions of women who suffer from overactive bladder (OAB). In fact, 17% of all women over age 18 have OAB, according to the National Association for Incontinence (NAFI), an education and advocacy association.<\/p>\n
So why does OAB have you living in the ladies\u2019 room? And what exactly are the underlying causes of the urge to urinate?<\/p>\n
The condition occurs when your brain sends signals to the bladder at the wrong time, telling the organ that you need to urinate. Your bladder responds by contracting and you feel the urge to go \u2013 frequently, sometimes urgently and certainly more than \u201cnormal.\u201d<\/p>\n
While its causes are unknown and the condition isn\u2019t dangerous, OAB\u2019s symptoms are annoying and embarrassing, forcing women to plan their lives around it.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s good news: OAB is very treatable and a range of medical and surgical options are available. However, changing daily habits is the first course of treatment \u2013 simple steps, such as watching fluid intake and doing Kegel exercises. Here are 6 do\u2019s and 6 don\u2019ts to get you started:<\/p>\n
The Don\u2019ts
1. Don\u2019t squat when you pee.
It\u2019s important to really empty your bladder every time you go, says Elizabeth Kavaler, a New York urologist and author of A Seat on the Aisle, Please! When you hover over the toilet, you can\u2019t empty your bladder well.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Women] squat and don\u2019t take the time they need,\u201d Kavaler says.<\/p>\n
Her tips? Don\u2019t squeeze your legs and don\u2019t restrain and hurry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to take the extra 30 seconds,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
What if you\u2019re using a public bathroom?<\/p>\n
\u201cPut paper on the toilet seat and sit.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Don\u2019t drink 8 glasses of water a day.
The adage that 8 glasses of water is good for your health doesn\u2019t apphttp:\/\/www.peacefmonline.com\/admin\/tgnews\/catnews\/add.php?catid=4ly if you have OAB. In fact, it may be the cause of it, says Sandra Valaitis, M.D., chief of Gynecology\/Reconstructive Surgery at University of Chicago Medical Center.<\/p>\n
As part of OAB treatment, Valaitis asks her patients to keep a diary of everything they drink and when they urinate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m amazed so many times what patients are drinking without even realizing it,\u201d she says. \u201cI had one 25-year-old woman [who] was drinking 120 ounces of Pepsi a day and hadn\u2019t even thought about how that would impact her bladder control.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the right amount? Four to six glasses of water a day is enough for most people \u2013 a little more if you exercise vigorously and sweat, says Ariana Smith, urologist and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
3. Don\u2019t drink too little.
You want to decrease your fluid intake but not too much: Too little can irritate the bladder, so you still may feel that constant urge to urinate.<\/p>\n
It can also lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs), because the urine becomes concentrated (and turns dark yellow and smells) due to dehydration. That leaves bacteria behind.<\/p>\n
How do you know if you\u2019re drinking the right amount? Your urine should be clear and odor-free.<\/p>\n
4. Don\u2019t go for the cranberry cure.
Even though cranberry juice is a UTI folk remedy, it\u2019s not good for your bladder, says Kavaler. It doesn’t hydrate well or flush out toxins. In fact, it\u2019s a sugary diuretic and OAB sufferers should steer clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrink water when you\u2019re thirsty and eat a well-balanced diet as part of a healthy lifestyle,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
5. Don\u2019t give up sex.
Sex doesn\u2019t cause OAB or make it worse, so there\u2019s no reason to give it up, says Smith.<\/p>\n
Sure, the condition can make women uncomfortable during sex because they feel the urge to urinate and worry they might have an accident. But these conditions go away when OAB is treated, she says.<\/p>\n
Limiting fluid intake before having sex also may relieve discomfort, suggests Kavaler.<\/p>\n
6. Don\u2019t obsess about peeing.
\u201cThere’s no such thing as \u2018normal\u2019 urination,\u201d Kavaler says. \u201cWhatever makes you functional is normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obsessing when, where and how you go, she says, only leads to stress. And that can make many women experience even more frequent urination because when they’re stressed, they tend to drink more liquid \u2013 creating an endless cycle.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re urinating more than is practical and it\u2019s bothersome, see your doctor, Kavaler says.<\/p>\n
The Do\u2019s
1. Do Kegel exercises.
Kegel exercises strengthen pelvic-floor muscles and short-circuit the urge to urinate, Smith says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have good pelvic floor muscles, you can suppress your urge to go,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Kegel exercises are simple squeezes you can do at home, contracting your pelvic-floor muscles as if you\u2019re trying not to pee. (Don’t do these if you have a full or partially empty bladder, says Edward Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer. It can lead to UTIs.)<\/p>\n
Even better: You can do them anywhere without anyone noticing \u2013 at your desk at work or while watching TV.<\/p>\n
2. Do cut back on the mocha lattes.
Caffeine in coffee, tea, soda \u2013 even chocolate \u2013 has a diuretic effect: It makes your bladder fill quicker so you have to urinate. It may also irritate it.<\/p>\n
\u201cEight ounces of coffee seems to be harder on the bladder than 8 ounces of water,\u201d Smith says. \u201cSo go with water.\u201d<\/p>\n
The good news: \u201cA lot of women come back after they\u2019ve eliminated caffeine and their OAB symptoms are significantly better,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
3. Do set a pee schedule.
The brain can tell your body that you have to go, even if you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour bladder might get used to holding a smaller amount and it doesn\u2019t want to stretch [to hold more urine],\u201d Valaitis says. So you need to “train” it to go when you want to go, she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne treatment is to teach patients how to gradually increase intervals between voidings,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
To do this, you have to keep a diary of when you urinate to find a pattern. You may also be asked to measure your output in provided containers to determine when you really need to go and when you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
A recommended interval between bathroom breaks is 2-1\/2 hours, Valaitis says.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re going more often, longer intervals between bathroom breaks will gradually be introduced, Kavaler says. But finding your own rhythm is what\u2019s most important for overactive bladders, she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has their issues and you have to know your body and its requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Do manage your medications.
Drugs you take for other conditions may trigger OAB, including blood-pressure drugs, diuretics, muscle relaxants, sedatives and antidepressants, Valaitis says. Others cause dry mouth, which may make you drink more water, causing OAB symptoms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to take a look and maybe change the time of day when you take your medication.\u201d<\/p>\n
You may be able to make simple adjustments, such as not taking the medication at night or when you\u2019re going out.<\/p>\n
5. Do maintain a healthy weight.
Being overweight puts extra pressure on the bladder and increases the risk of developing bladder problems.<\/p>\n
Even if you lose a little weight \u2013 as little as 5% in overweight or obese women \u2013 you can regain bladder control, according to a study of 338 heavy-set women conducted by a University of California, San Francisco researcher, which was published in a 2009 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.<\/p>\n
6. Do seek further treatment.
If a change in habits doesn\u2019t work, anticholinergic medications, such as Detrol and Ditropan, may alleviate the urge to urinate by blocking the nerve signals to the bladder.<\/p>\n
Minimally evasive surgery is also an option \u2013 either the insertion of a bladder pacemaker or Botox injected into the organ to relax the muscle and minimize the sensation that you need to urinate all the time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
More: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Are you skipping excursions with friends because you\u2019re worried a bathroom won\u2019t be in arm\u2019s length? You\u2019re not alone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-425959","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n