July 5, 2023
If you’ve ever eaten something spicy and then noticed all of a sudden your bladder urgency, frequency, or even bladder leaks suddenly seem to get worse, you’re not losing your mind. It’s a real thing. My name is Brittany Kapiello, and I’m a pelvic floor physical therapist who has dedicated my entire 21-year career to helping women battle issues like urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency.
Let’s talk about diet and the bladder. Diet and the bladder can be a little tricky because there is a long list of foods that have been studied, tested, and researched to see if they could irritate the bladder. However, this list is similar to a medication side effect list. Just because a food is on the list doesn’t mean it will cause a reaction for everyone.
When my clients look at the list of potentially irritating foods for the bladder, they often feel overwhelmed. They wonder if they can’t eat anything. But that’s not the case. Knowledge is power when it comes to managing your diet and bladder health. By knowing what foods irritate your bladder, you can choose when to eat them or how to manage them so that they don’t become a problem.
Let’s focus on spicy foods today. If you know that spicy foods irritate your bladder, you can make informed choices about when and how to consume them. For example, if you’re going out to dinner and you love a spicy meal on the menu but you don’t want to end up in the bathroom all night or risk leaking, you can choose to avoid the spicy meal that evening. Similarly, if you have a long car trip ahead or a lengthy board meeting where bathroom breaks won’t be readily available, it might be wise to avoid spicy foods.
Hydration plays a crucial role in managing the effects of irritant foods on the bladder. When you eat something spicy or any potential bladder irritant, it can make your urine more acidic and irritate the lining of the bladder. By drinking water and staying hydrated while consuming these foods, you can dilute the urine and reduce the level of irritation. This can help alleviate symptoms such as urgency, frequency, and leakage.
It’s important to note that everyone’s experience with bladder irritants can vary. While spicy foods may bother some people, others might find caffeine or artificial sweeteners to be the main culprits. The key is to identify the foods that affect you personally and then use hydration and timing to manage them effectively.
Let me share an example from one of my clients. She was a gym teacher experiencing urgency, frequency, and incontinence issues, but she couldn’t understand why these symptoms were worse during her morning gym classes compared to her afternoon sessions, even though the activities were the same. After discussing her diet and meal routines, we discovered that she consumed several bladder irritants in the morning, such as caffeine, grapefruit, and orange juice, without drinking enough water. By adjusting her breakfast choices and increasing her hydration, she was able to reduce her symptoms during the morning gym classes.
In conclusion, understanding the impact of diet on your bladder health empowers you to make informed choices. By knowing which foods irritate your bladder, you can decide when and how to consume them, or if necessary, avoid them altogether. Hydration and timing can also play a crucial role in managing the effects of irritant foods. Remember, everyone’s experience is unique, so it’s essential to listen to your body and find the strategies that work best for you.
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