If you’re like several of my patients, you may have an overactive bladder that makes you run to the bathroom to urinate frequently. Some people have a smaller bladder than others and therefore naturally have to urinate more. Other people may be eating certain foods that can irritate your bladder causing the need to urinate. I’d like to explain what some of these foods are and what you can do to minimize your “running” problems.

Overactive Bladder – What is it?

Overactive bladder is a mild to severe condition that can not only become a nuisance by always creating the need to find a bathroom while out in public, but can also have some embarrassing consequences. It’s also a condition that can be accompanied by something called “urge incontinence,” or UI, where you have to go so bad that you just can’t hold it in and urine seeps into your clothes; or “stress incontinence”, or YES, where you have involuntary loss of urine when laughing or sneezing. UI and SI are usually just variant symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome that can also include nocturia (waking up at night to urinate) and frequency, just “going” a lot throughout the day.

As mentioned above, overactive bladder can be caused by a few things including:

• A congenitally small bladder that has less holding capacity than most people
• A “neurogenic bladder”: caused by damage or pressure, pinching of the nerves in the spine that can occur in certain medical conditions such as spinal injuries, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke, which can cause emptying involuntary bladder .
• Certain medicines used to treat other conditions, such as diuretics for high blood pressure or medicines that contain caffeine.
• hormonal. The decrease in estrogen at menopause can cause the muscles of the bladder and urethra to weaken and drop forward, resulting in more frequent urination and leakage. In men, an enlarged prostate can also cause frequent urination.
• Constipation. The pressure of retained waste in the rectum can aggravate the bladder.
• obesity. Too much abdominal fat can also put pressure on the bladder.

However, the most common cause of overactive bladder is the simple foods that we eat every day. These are foods that contain certain compounds that can irritate the bladder and sometimes lead to a chronic inflammatory condition. The bladder tries to remove these irritants by causing frequent urination. Here is a list of the top bladder trigger foods:

• tomato products – tomato products are usually high in acid and can irritate the bladder. In an attempt to get rid of the irritant, the bladder tries to flush itself out with frequent urination.
• Caffeine – a stimulant present in coffee and tea can actually irritate the bladder and make it go further. Decaf varieties can help, but they also have very small amounts of caffeine.
• Chocolate – also contains caffeine and other compounds such as theobromines that can irritate the bladder. White chocolate has less caffeine but still has some. Try to reduce the amount of chocolate you eat.
• Citric fruits – also very acidic, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, can also irritate the bladder like tomatoes. Try to reduce your intake of citrus fruits and supplement with an Ester-C type of vitamin C to prevent further irritation.
• Beer, wine, hard liquor – The “spirits” take more water out of your body to process through your kidneys and make you urinate more.
• carbonation – Sodas, champagne, tonic water all contain carbonation which can trigger your bladder and cause you to urinate frequently.
• hot spices – like the cayenne, the jalapeno, especially when paired with tomato, can really keep you jumping to the bathroom. The spice itself not only irritates your bladder, but it also prompts you to drink a lot more cold liquids to wash it down.
• sweeteners – Real sugar, honey, and artificial sweeteners like Equal, Splenda, and Sweet N’Low can also overstimulate the bladder.
• Condoms/Spices – Monosodium glutamate, salt, pepper, other kitchen spices and certain herbs such as oregano and dill also have a diuretic action that can make you urinate more frequently.
• onions, blueberries – like tomatoes, they are acid-based, which can irritate the bladder. However, cranberries can also help keep the bladder free of bacteria by neutralizing it with the compounds it contains and eliminating it.

What can you do to slow down your march?

The best advice I give to my patients who seem to have overactive bladder symptoms due to food sources is to do the following:

• Keep track of your symptoms and which foods seem to irritate them the most. Then try reducing the amount or eliminating these foods altogether to reduce the frequency of urination.
• Keep drinking the recommended amount of water daily, usually eight 8-ounce glasses a day, or more if you’re sweating a lot. Adequate water intake dilutes urine, so if you eat some of these foods, they will be less irritating to your bladder.

If you have symptoms of overactive bladder, see your doctor for an evaluation to determine if there is a medical condition behind it, such as those listed above. However, if you’re like my patients, the foods and drinks you eat every day are most likely causing your overactive bladder symptoms. To control your functioning problems, try the recommendations mentioned above, observing what foods you eat and what your symptoms are. Continue to drink the recommended amount of water to flush out any irritants and keep the rest of you healthy, too!