Health Tips to Manage Your Bladder Weakness
In addition to Pelvic Floor Exercises and Other Treatments listed in the previous section, there are several general health tips which will assist you in managing your bladder weakness.
- Watch your weight – This contributes to overall good health and excess weight can make the problem worse by putting extra stress on your pelvic floor muscles.
- Do not stop exercising – Recreational or sporting activities are of vital importance in keeping women fit and active. If this means wearing protection then use discreet protection from the Poise® range.
- Avoid constipation – Constipation can make your condition worse as you are straining your pelvic floor muscles to empty your bowels. This can have a very damaging effect on your pelvic floor muscles. Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet can reduce the likelihood of constipation.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. This is of most importance as limiting your water intake may impact your health.
- Eliminate or reduce alcohol and caffeine intake – Avoid beverages such as coffee, tea or cola soft drinks as these can dehydrate the body and irritate the bladder.
- Avoid citrus fruits and juices, tomato based and spicy foods – These kinds of food may irritate the bladder and make your problem more difficult to manage and control.
- Practice good bladder habits – Try to get out of the habit of going to the toilet “just in case” as over time this can result in your bladder developing a smaller capacity. Try to hold on until you have at least 300 ml in your bladder (approximately 10 seconds of constant urine flow).
- Take care of your Pelvic Floor Muscles – Keep the tone in your pelvic floor muscles strong with regular pelvic floor exercises.