What Can Help an Overactive Bladder?

One of the most difficult conditions for a grown person to have is an overactive bladder. An overactive bladder can lead to such problems as frequent urination, leaking and even embarrassing accidents. This is not an untreatable condition. Luckily, there are many different ways to treat an overactive bladder.

Food

One of the main causes of an overactive bladder is diet. HDIS reports that any drink with alcohol in it can cause an urgent need to urinate. Carbonated drinks, milk and milk products, citrus juices and fruits, high spiced foods, tomatoes and tomato based products, sugar, honey, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and chocolate all cause frequent urination. Medicines like Anacin, Excedrin, Vanquish, Midol, Darvon, Coryban D, Dristan, Sinarest, No Doz, Vivarin and Dexatrin can also cause an overactive bladder. HDIS suggests that water helps dilute urine so that it isn’t so concentrated. Apple, cherry, cranberry and grape juice also help prevent frequent urination.

Medical Treatments

There are many medical treatments for an overactive bladder. The Mayo Clinic has a long list of medicines that that treat overactive bladders. They include Detrol LA, Ditropan XL, Enablex, Sanctura, and Vesicare. They state that all these drugs “work about the same in treating overactive bladder, and generally people tolerate all of them well.” The main side effect, they say, is dry mouth, "but anticholinergics also can cause constipation, blurred vision and increased heartbeat.” They also report that some women undergoing menopause suffer from frequent urination due to a lack of estrogen, and are treated with estrogen supplements.

Exercises

Pelvic Floor Exercises are useful in preventing an overactive bladder. They strengthen the muscles in your pelvic region that are responsible for holding back urination. Lie flat on your back. Breathe in deeply, stretch your pelvis into the air and hold. This may be somewhat painful, so only hold it for as long as you feel comfortable. With your pelvis in the air, flex your pelvic muscles and hold. Again, only hold as long as you feel comfortable. Release to the floor and breathe deeply. When you’re ready to lift again, repeat. This should be done 10 to 20 times a day, but no more than 20.