If you have an overactive bladder then you need to maintain a proper diet to control your overactive bladder diet. Here you can find what to remove from your overactive bladder diet and what to include.

Overactive bladder is a combination of several symptoms that might result in urinating more frequently, experiencing leakage, and also a need to urinate frequently at night. One of these or all of these symptoms might cause considerable stress and negatively impact the quality of life you lead. An overactive bladder represents a collection of symptoms that include Urinary urgency, Frequency of urination, etc

How to Reduce Symptoms?

One of the ways to treat the Overactive Bladder Diet involves making several dietary changes. This involves cutting out several food irritants from the diet and limiting fluid intake.

What does your diet have to do with OAB?

If you have OAB, certain foods and drinks can further irritate your bladder or the urinary tract. 

This can increase specific symptoms like 

• frequent urge to urinate, 
• bladder spasms, 
• and urinary incontinence. 

You also need to know that the foods that negatively affect one person might not negatively affect you. You can experiment with different foods and beverages that can help you pinpoint any dietary triggers you might have. 

Drinking lots of water is essential for maintaining good overall health. But if you have OAB, more fluid intake will increase the number of trips to the bathroom. Again, if those fluids are carbonated, they might aggravate your symptoms even more.

It would be good if you could discuss your fluid intake with your doctor. They will be able to advise you better about the amount of fluid you need to take in. 

Many people with OAB avoid drinking before going to bed to reduce nighttime trips to the bathroom. But here, you will have to keep one thing in mind if you take too little fluid, it is not good. If you drink too little, there are chances that your urine will become concentrated and acidic and will heighten your bowel irritation.

If you also have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, eating foods containing gluten might contribute to OAB. There is gluten in wheat, rye, and barley products. Some of the most common examples of these include:

• noodles
• cereals
• breaded foods
• oats
• soups
• alcohol

Foods to avoid with overactive bladder Diet

There are certain foods and drinks which might worsen the symptoms of OAB, and you should remove these from your overactive bladder diet:

•  chocolate
• alcohol
• sodas and fizzy drinks
• artificial sweeteners
• citrus fruits and juices
•  corn syrup
• tomatoes
• cranberry juice
•  dairy
•  spicy foods
• caffeine
• sugar and honey
• vinegar

The triggers from food vary from one person to another; it can be helpful for people to maintain a diary that details their food intake and bladder symptoms. A journal can also help people find out which foods are causing the most significant health issues.

Also Read: Gallstones vs Kidney Stones Differences

What foods should go in your overactive bladder diet?

The first and most important thing you should do is make water your preferred beverage. Certain added ingredients in sodas, energy drinks, and caffeine in coffee might aggravate an overactive bladder.

Staying hydrated is essential to maintaining the overall health of an individual. But for people suffering from OAB, choosing how much to drink and when to drink is necessary. There is an old saying that if we drink eight 8-ounces of water a day, it should keep us well hydrated. But the fact is that a healthy adult might not need that much. The American Urogynecologic Society suggests that you should drink water when you’re thirsty.

Here are six tips about how you can manage your fluid intake:

• Make sure that you spread out the fluid intake throughout the entire day.
• Do not carry a large water bottle with you if you are not exercising
• You can fill your cup or glass just halfway, or you can even use a smaller cup.
• You should sip and not gulp.
• If you’re drinking enough water, your urine should be light yellow or colourless.

It would help if you also remembered that you get fluids from other foods, including fruits, vegetables, and soups. These are:

Pears, are a good source of fibre and have as many as 100 calories per serving. 

Bananas, are great snacks and can be used as toppings for cereals or smoothies. 

Green beans: You can eat these raw, add them to salads or roast them with a bit of olive oil.

Winter squash, is available during summers as well as in winter. The most popular squash varieties include butternut, acorn, and spaghetti. 

Potatoes: This is bladder-friendly comfort food, and this is perfect when the weather cools down. You can try out white potatoes or sweet potatoes. 

Lean proteins: Examples of lean proteins include low-fat beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and fish. When baked, steamed, or broiled, there are lesser chances of these deteriorating your bladder. 

Whole grains, Quinoa, rice, and oats are some of the best examples of whole grains. They come in wide varieties and are, in most cases, inexpensive.

Bread: Overall, the bread is bladder-friendly and an excellent addition to meals. 

Nuts: Cashews, Almonds, and peanuts are healthy snacks and are also rich in protein. 

Eggs are also rich in protein. Eggs are one of the least bothersome foods for bladder conditions. 

Supplements

There are several herbs, and natural supplements recommended for the treatment of OAB. These include:

Gosha-jinki-gan: These are a combination of ten traditional Chinese herbs that can affect bladder contraction positively.

Ganodermalucidum: This is a herbal extract from East Asia, and it can improve the symptoms that are related to urinary tract issues.

Corn silk: This is a traditional medicine that has been used for centuries to treat certain health conditions, including bladder irritation and nighttime incontinence.

Capsaicin: This is also a natural remedy that comes from chilli peppers. This is also an efficient and inexpensive treatment that will treat the overactive and highly sensitive bladders.

Pumpkin seed extract: This is beneficial for both – nighttime urination and OAB.

Magnesium hydroxide: These supplements improve symptoms of urinary incontinence and nocturia in female patients.

Vitamin D: This decreases pelvic floor disorders, including bladder leaking, in women. There is also a connection between low vitamin D levels and episodes of bladder leaking in older adults. 

The Bottom line

Female urology disorders can be treated successfully. This way, it will reduce or eliminate the overactive bladder symptoms. Female urology is a subspecialty of the urology field that focuses mainly on the diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions that commonly affect women. 

These conditions are due to the unique anatomy of the female reproductive system and urinary tract. An overactive bladder can be caused due to several reasons. This might also be caused due to a combination of causes. It is highly recommended that people speak with a doctor before trying alternative remedies and maintain their overactive bladder diet.

If the first-line treatments do not help the symptoms to improve, the doctors might suggest second-line therapies. These can include medication. If this is unsuccessful, the third-line treatment in the form of neuromodulation (a method of altering nerve activity) or surgery is recommended. It is important that you choose a good doctor. So contact Dr. Ankit Kayal who is an esteemed doctor in this field and get the best treatment at the most affordable rate.