Five Things You Should Know for Bladder Health:

You should aim to drink half your body weight of water (in ounces) every day to ensure your body is properly hydrated, and your bladder is happy. Try to avoid drinking too much caffeine, carbonated beverages, or artificial sweeteners, as these can irritate your bladder, increasing your bladder urgency. Often times, people will restrict fluids in hopes of decreasing urgency, however, concentrated urine will send more signals to your body to get to the bathroom.

Properly functioning kidneys and a healthy bladder empties 5-8 times a day. If you are urinating more or less than that, you may want to speak with your doctor. Whether you have developed habits of habitual holding or voiding “just in case”, these habits can lead to issues down the road. Daytime, or nighttime urinary frequency can take over your life! It’s normal to wake up once per night or not at all you are under 50, and 1-2x if you are over 50.

Leaking urine is common and often associated with pregnancy or aging, and 10% children over 5 also have leakage concerns. Leakage can be caused by weakness and/or tension of the pelvic floor muscles. Leakage in any amount is NOT normal.

See if Pelvic PT may be right for you, Call Dr. Stephanie to discuss your concerns today.