Today I want to clear up of some common misconceptions about bladder health that we hear all the time. Do you know how to keep your bladder healthy and happy? Check out below to learn 10 simple tips for a healthy bladder.  

• Do not push to pee. We are not designed to strain or push to empty our bladder. Women especially tend to be what I called “Power peers.” They go as quick as they can because they hurry to get in/get out out and get back to their day.However forcing or pushing to urinate puts more strain on our pelvic floor and bladder. We are designed “just to sit and relax and let the urine come out”. Take a moment sit down and let the flow happen vs trying to strain or push.​
• “To keep your bladder happy, you need to drink more water”. Most people, especially if they are dealing with bladder leakage, urgency or frequency will limit their fluid to reduce the amount of times that they have to go to the bathroom or that they leak. Unfortunately when we limit fluid it actually irritates the bladder. Concentrated urine is more irritating to the bladder, so we need to take in plenty water throughout the day to stay hydrated and keep the bladder happy. You can tell that you are drinking the right amount of fluids by looking at the color of your pee. Your pee it should be a pale yellow color. If it’s a dark yellow or even towards a brown side that is definitely a sign that you are not drinking enough water.
  
• Sit down on the toilet. Many women hover over the toilet because they are worried about germs. However, “we are designed to sit down and relax to urinate.” If you are worried about germs on public toilets, then use toilet seat covers or line the seat with toilet paper, because we need to sit to empty fully.
  
• Limit or avoid caffeine. Now this can be a sad one for lots of people. Don’t get me wrong I like my cup of coffee in the morning but “caffeine is a bladder irritant” and can cause increased urgency and frequency. If you’re dealing with urinary urgency and frequency the first thing I would recommend is to cut out caffeine. If you absolutely cannot cut it out then for every cup of coffee that you drink, you should also have a cup or 2 of water to try to dilute the bladder irritant.
  
• Be gentle when you wipe. Our tissue down in there is delicate. Wipe front to back and potentially just dab to be even more gentle.
  
• “Don’t ignore the urge to go”.  Our bladder communicates with our brain to tell it when our our bladder. This usually occurs every 2 to 4 hours. “Listen to your bladder”. When you feel that need to urinate and it’s been close to or over the 2 hour mark then go. If you are going more frequently than every 2 hours then you may be dealing with urinary urgency and frequency.
  
• Squeeze before you sneeze. When we have warning that a sneeze, a laugh or a cough is coming we want to pre-contract our pelvic floor to brace and prevent bladder leakage. To contract your pelvic floor,  try to pucker around the anus or draw the vagina up and in. If you’re having through doing this or not sure that you are doing it right, then this is a great opportunity to connect a pelvic physical therapist to figure out how your pelvic floor muscles are working.  We need the pelvic floor muscles to be on and ready to accept that extra pressure that is going to happen when we cough, laugh, or sneeze.
  
• When you finish peeing, rock side to side and back and forth on the toilet to funnel fluid down in the bladder to make sure that you are emptying completely. Rock ‘n’ roll on the toilet instead of trying push or strain to get that last a little bit of urine out.
  
• “Don’t Rush”. Sit down, “Relax and let your body do it’s thing”. Rushing can prevent completely empty your bladder fully. While sitting on the toilet take 5- 10 deep breaths to help everything empty out fully. If you have trouble slowing down try setting a timer on your phone for 1 minute to get you to sit for a little longer.
  
• Partner with a pelvic physical therapist. A pelvic physical therapist can help you evaluate your bladder habits and assess your pelvic floor muscle function. They can help you identify potential bladder problems and come up with a plan to address issues.

After reading these 10 tips for healthy bladder, how many are you practicing? Could your bladder use some healthier habits? We are here to help. Feel free to call us at 636-225-3649 to talk with one of Legacy Physical Therapy’s pelvic physical therapists to get your questions answered.