Natural bladder sounds like it could be the name of a rock band! What it’s really about is ways to help with bladder problems without using surgery or prescription medications.
You might want help if you are leaking urine, are often unable to get to the restroom in time, have frequent bladder infections, and/or have accidents when you cough or laugh.
There are lifestyle changes that can help with bladder problems. I will discuss 4 areas to support the natural bladder.
Liquid Intake
In a lot of cases, people are not drinking enough water. The tendency with some is to drink less water because they don’t want a leaking problem. It is better for the bladder to have more water so that the urine is not concentrated and to reduce the chances of urinary tract infections. The bladder is a muscle, so stretching it a bit is a good thing.
Food and Drink
You may want to keep a food and drink diary to see if there are any things you eat or drink that seem to irritate your bladder or cause incontinence issues. Cutting out caffeine may be helpful because it can irritate the bladder. Maybe sodas are a problem for you? In the same vein, alcohol also irritates the bladder.
Exercise
Getting regular exercise is a recommendation for overall health. For bladder health and to strengthen the bladder muscles, you need specific exercises. Don’t bother with the difficult to do kegel exercises–they don’t work for 60% of the people who try them. Try these: From a sitting position, squeeze a ball between your knees; and alternate with resisting against a exercise band stretched across your thighs. Your muscle strength will show improvement in just a couple of weeks.
Relaxation and Biofeedback
You need to learn to relax. There is a scientific reason why stopping and doing deep breathing several times a day is good for you: it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. When you are constantly running on caffeine and adrenaline, your sympathetic nervous system is activated all the time. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the parasympathetic nervous system is not, and vice versa. When the sympathetic nervous system is “on” all the time, guess what? The message it sends to your brain is a frantic one, telling it the bladder is full, and you’ve got to empty it now, now now! And when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, its message is more accurate, and more calm.
It is not good to use the bathroom every 15 minutes. The optimum is to pee every 3 to 4 hours. Through relaxation techniques you can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and learn how to relax when you get the “urge” and re-train your bladder. Some try biofeedback to help them recognize the signals their body is sending. We also have some suggestions for relaxation to help you turn on your parasympathetic nervous system.
Just know that there are many alternatives to surgery and potent prescription medications. Share with us what natural bladder remedies have worked for you or someone you know. Please share your story below.