Tips to Keep Your Bladder Healthy

Your bladder plays an essential role in eliminating toxins and excess fluids from your body. When your bladder isn’t functioning at peak levels, your risk for chronic illness increases.

For this reason, our experienced team of urologists focuses on educating our patients about the importance of protecting your bladder health. At Urology Specialist Group, we also offer preventive screenings for those at high risk for diseases like bladder cancer to support your overall wellness.

What bladder health is important

Your bladder is a hollow organ responsible for storing urine before it leaves your body. Urine contains excess fluids and other waste material that your body no longer needs. On average, adults eliminate about a quart and a half of urine each day.

The natural process of aging does impact your bladder health and function. As you get older, your bladder may not be as elastic as it once was.  This loss of flexibility can limit how much urine your bladder can hold, which can lead to frequent or sudden urges to urinate and unexpected urine leaks.

Women may also be susceptible to bladder prolapse, a condition where your bladder falls down and out of its natural position due to weakness in your pelvic floor muscles.

While you can’t control all of the effects aging has on your bladder, you can become more proactive about your bladder health to minimize the severity of your symptoms.

Effective strategies to boost your bladder health

Our urologists can recommend personalized strategies to help you improve your bladder function based on your existing health and risk for bladder disease. However, you can also incorporate changes into your everyday life to optimize the long-term health of your bladder.

Here are some simple changes our team recommends:

Don’t delay bathroom breaks

When you hold urine in your bladder for too long, your bladder muscles can grow weak. Delaying urination can also increase your risk for painful bladder infections and embarrassing urine leaks.

Try to pass urine every three to four hours, even if you don’t feel a strong urge to go.

Be mindful of urination habits

Often, people rush to empty their bladder so they can get back to work or other activities. This hurried approach can result in your bladder never emptying fully.

Do your best to keep all of your muscles relaxed when urinating. Avoid the temptation to force urine out and just let the process happen naturally.

Practice good bathroom hygiene

Women should wipe from front to back to prevent a bladder infection. Wiping in the opposite direction can easily transfer bacteria from the anus to the urinary tract.

Men and women should also make a habit of urinating after sex to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria that can lead to a bladder or urinary tract infection (UTI).

Engage in exercise

Regular exercise keeps the bladder healthy by minimizing risk factors for constipation. You can also practice pelvic floor exercises that specifically target the muscles supporting your bladder. These are the muscles you use to start and stop the flow of urine.

Follow a healthy diet

Eating a nutritious diet is important for good bladder health. You should also avoid products that can irritate the bladder, such as artificial sweeteners, spicy foods, and soda.

Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to help flush more toxins out of your bladder.

Call the Urology Specialist Group office in Hialeah or Miami Lakes, Florida, to learn more strategies to improve your bladder health or book a consultation online today.