Last Updated on November 24, 2023
What are Bladder Irritants?
Bladder irritants are basically food, drink, or any medication that may irritate the bladder. As a result, a person experiences symptoms such as urine incontinence, urgency, increased urine frequency, bladder spasms, and bladder pain. One similar condition, Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS), is thought to be caused by bladder irritants that cause the bladder to swell with persistent pain. Female bladder problems are very common yet easily ignored.
In this blog, we will dive deep into what are bladder irritants that cause bladder pain and how to manage it.
Foods that act as Bladder Irritants
Food is not just a good source of energy. The type of food we consume can have a significant impact on our bladder health. People with healthy bladders have nothing to worry about, however, those with an overactive bladder or bladder issues like pain have to be cognizant of their eating habits. In people with overactive bladder, it is often difficult to control the sudden urge to urinate resulting in involuntary urination called urge incontinence.
In this section, we will be answering the most frequently asked question “What are Bladder Irritants?” and foods that act as bladder irritants:
- Caffeinated drinks: It has a direct impact on the bladder’s smooth muscles causing irritation of the lining.
- Carbonated beverages: Such drinks contain carbon dioxide resultantly making an acidic solution and increasing urinary urgency.
- Artificial sweeteners: These are also considered to be the cause of bladder infections and inflammation.
- Alcohol: It produces concentrated urine that can irritate the bladder, causing inflammation and irritation of the bladder lining. This also increases the chances of urinary tract infections.
- Acidic foods: High-acidic foods can disrupt the bladder lining or disturb the nervous system that controls the bladder and bowel movements.
Strategies to Overcome Bladder Irritation Caused by Bladder Irritants
Bladder Training:
After answering the question, “What are bladder irritants?”, we will now discuss the strategies to manage an irritated bladder. People with overactive bladders are prone to urinating more often on minor urges. After some time, the bladder sends signals to the brain that it’s full when in reality it is not. This causes an urge to urinate.
Bladder training requires changing urination habits. It means setting a time to use the toilet and not going otherwise. When the time span increases, the bladder fills more completely. This helps to control the urge to urinate.
3 simple steps to follow for bladder training include:
- Try to find a pattern: Keeping a journal and noting down the timing every time you urinate can help your doctor or physician connect the dots and reach a conclusion.
- Increase the timespan: Keeping a diary can help you assess the time between each visit to the washroom and can help you increase the time span between urinating.
- Stick to the schedule: Once you have developed a habit of tracking your timing, stick to it and try to urinate on the set time. This will help you get more control of your bladder.
Strengthening Pelvic Floor:
Strong pelvic muscle helps to control urination. The pelvic floor muscles open and close the urethra that takes urine from the bladder, out of the body. These muscles also help hold the bladder up during walking, exercising, lifting, sneezing, etc.
A Word from Revive
Revive Research Institute is an integrated clinical research organization dedicated to making healthcare accessible to all communities. We are currently conducting Clinical Trials for Interstitial Cystitis commonly known as Bladder Pain Syndrome to test the safety and efficacy of an oral drug on women aged 18-70 years.
Outlook
To conclude, the answer to the most frequently asked question, “What are bladder irritants?” is that some food groups and drinks are the most common bladder irritants that disrupt the lining of the bladder and cause pain and swelling. It is essential to keep track of your eating habits and avoid triggers if you already have an irritated bladder to avoid complications.
