Some types of urinary incontinence are caused by a so-called overactive bladder, which can increase how often you feel the need to pee or makes that urge particularly urgent—sometimes before you can get to a bathroom in time. Luckily, an overactive bladder is often exacerbated by dietary or lifestyle habits, which, when altered, can help in managing your symptoms. Often, these overactive bladder solutions do the trick—but if they don’t, many women also resort to pharmaceutical or surgical options.
Lifestyle-related overactive bladder solutions
- Scheduled pee breaks. Keeping a bladder diary can help you track how often and how much you pee, or “void”; when you feel urges or can’t control them; and whether any food, drink, or activity feels particularly problematic. Use your diary to plan your trips to the bathroom. For example, if you know that you usually have to go shortly after drinking coffee, make sure you know where the restroom is when you’re enjoying your joe. Train your bladder to empty every hour, say, and then lengthen that period of time gradually.
- Dietary restrictions. Acidic, spicy, or caffeinated foods and drinks are bladder irritants. Many women find that cutting such foods from their diets is a particularly effective overactive bladder solution. These can include citrus fruits and juices, tomato sauce, hot peppers, curries, tea and coffee, chocolate, and alcohol.
- Improved regularity. Constipation places undue pressure on your bladder, which can cause more frequent urges and leaks. So eating fiber-rich foods or taking over-the-counter fiber supplements like Metamucil or Benefiber can be an easy fix.
- Quitting smoking. Cigarette smoke is particularly irritating for the bladder, and coughing—as many smokers do—can also put pressure on the bladder, leading to leaks
- Muscle exercises. Often, bladder leaks are caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles due to age, childbirth, or pregnancy. Doing regular Kegels can help those muscles keep urine where it belongs, and bladder muscle exercises can decrease the urge to void.
- Weight management. Extra weight can place pressure on the bladder, which can also lead to urges and leaks. Studies have found that being overweight (BMI 25-29.9) or obese (BMI >30) is a major risk factor for urinary incontinence. In one study, weight loss of 8 percent over six months led to 47 percent fewer weekly incontinence episodes. Managing your weight might not cure overactive bladder, but it can certainly relieve some of the symptoms.
- Pads and liners. Wearing absorbent pads or liners can help avoid an embarrassing situation. There are many products out there made to serve a variety of needs, depending on your frequency and volume of leaks. Urinary incontinence pads are specially designed for urine’s unique viscosity and composition, so be sure to invest in a pack rather than relying on period pads.
Pharmaceutical overactive bladder solutions
- Prescription drugs. A class of drugs called anticholinergics can control muscle spasms in the bladder that make you feel an urge to pee. Talk to your doctor about whether such drugs are right for you. They include oxybutynin, dicyclomine, propantheline, fesoterodine, tolterodine, and solifenacin.
- Over-the-counter options.The Oxytrol patch is the only anticholinergic drug that’s available over the counter, and it helps relax bladder muscles, decreasing urge. AZO Bladder Health is another option available at any drugstore that uses natural, drug-free ingredients to tone bladder muscles for better control.
- Botox. Botox is popular for smoothing wrinkles, but it’s also a useful overactive bladder solution. Injections into the bladder wall can relax the bladder muscle and decrease its spasms.
Surgical overactive bladder solutions
- Nerve stimulation. If all else fails, some doctors may recommend surgery as an overactive bladder solution. One popular option is nerve stimulation, in which a small device is inserted beneath the skin to send electrical pulses to the pelvic floor. This can help those muscles strengthen, which in turn can lead to fewer leaks.
- Bladder augmentation. While this is a fairly invasive procedure, it can serve as a last resort. In this surgery, part of the bowel is used to expand the bladder’s capacity.