Going to the loo a little too often? Not sure if it’s normal or not? Well, something might be amiss with your bladder. The daily recommended liquid intake for an average person is about 1.5 liters. Your bladder can easily hold up to 400–600 milliliters of urine. Some drinks such as alcohol and coffee increase the number of trips to the bathroom.
Ideally, this should not be the case as bathroom visits should be between 4 and 8 times during the day and once at night. When you do take more than 8 trips to the bathroom, it is a clear sign of an overactive bladder (OAB).1
Causes And Symptoms Of OAB
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition or a set of symptoms that occur due to sudden contractions of the muscles in the wall of your bladder. OAB is the result of the detrusor muscle – located within the wall of your bladder – that involuntarily contracts. Eventually, this forces you to take frequent trips to the bathroom.
OAB can be caused by old age but that is not the only cause. Other reasons include medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney disease, bladder obstruction, and weak pelvic muscles. It is also linked to medication use, surgery, and childbirth. Sometimes, the cause is unknown. However, OAB is a very common and treatable condition.2
Some of these symptoms could indicate that you have an overactive bladder or that your bladder is unable to hold urine normally:3
- Inability to hold urine
- Experiencing incontinence
- Need to use the bathroom more often than usual
- Urinating several times throughout the night
Such symptoms of an overactive bladder can disrupt your work routine, sleep quality, and cause a lot of embarrassment, making it hard for you to follow-up on daily activities.
Natural Treatments For Overactive Bladder
Here are a few natural remedies to strengthen an overactive bladder and get rid of OAB for good.
1. Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are great for OAB and are safe with minimal side effects and complications. Special pelvic floor exercises are the perfect options to strengthen your muscles and minimize involuntary contractions, improving your posture.4
- Ensure that your bladder is empty.
- Lie down or sit and focus on tightening the pelvic muscles.
- Hold this for about 5 seconds.
- Relax your muscles and then repeat the same steps 5 times.
- As your muscles get stronger, increase your routine to 10 seconds and 10 reps.
- Remember to perform these exercises at least 10 or more times a day to ensure best results.
2. Bladder Retraining
Bladder retraining compliments the Kegel exercises rebuilding your bladder muscles. It is a great tool to use when OAB causes your bladder to react in a different way. Here’s how you retrain your bladder.
- Delay urination at small intervals.
- Hold it for 5 minutes and work your way up gradually.
- Schedule your trips to the bathroom.
- Maintain a journal to see how often you need to go and delay the times.
- Start off with 10-minute delays and work your way up every 3 or 4 hours.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is vital for our body, as it maintains muscle and nerve functions. Some researchers believe that a magnesium-rich, well-balanced diet consisting of bananas, dark leafy greens, avocados, and nuts reduce incontinence as well as bladder muscle spasms. It also helps the bladder to fully empty when urinating.5
Taking over-the-counter magnesium hydroxide supplements will help you gain significant control over your urinary bladder. Consult a doctor and get the right dosage of these supplements as taking the wrong dosage could be problematic. It will also help you sleep better, which will prevent the need to go to the bathroom often.6
4. Cranberry Juice
Drinking cranberry juice regularly helps to treat OAB by maintaining adequate fluid levels and improving your immunity. The anti-adhesive properties of cranberry juice also prevent E. Coli bacteria from aggravating your overactive bladder problem.
5. Vitamin D
A surprise entry in this list of treatments, vitamin D increases your calcium intake and promotes bone health. Researchers believe that it also helps reduce the risk of incontinence.7
A 2010 study even concluded that woman aged 20 and above with normal vitamin D levels experienced fewer problems with pelvic floor disorder and incontinence than the ones with a vitamin D deficiency. So, all you ladies ensure that you meet the requirement with fortified milk, eggs, fish, and other sources. See to it that you get the daily recommended intake of vitamin D of 600 IU. 8
Alternative Herbal Supplements To Treat OAB
Herbal supplements treat OAB by enhancing the resistance power of your bladder. Here are a few such supplements you can try out.9 10
1. Chinese Herbal Blends
Gosha-jinki-gan (GJG) is a blend of 10 traditional Chinese herbs. It inhibits your bladder and significantly improves its daytime frequency. Hachimi-jio-gan (HE) is another Chinese herbal medicine that’s made up of eight natural ingredients, some of which are also in GJG. It significantly affects bladder muscle contraction.
2. Capsaicin
Usually found in the fleshy part of Chile peppers, capsaicin is commonly used to treat pelvic pain syndrome, a known symptom of OAB.
3. Corn Silk (Zea Mays)
Corn silk is the waste material obtained from corn cultivation. It has been used as a traditional medicine for many ailments, including bedwetting and bladder irritation, in countries like China and France. Corn silk prevents incontinence by strengthening and restoring mucous membranes in your urinary tract.
Give these natural remedies a try if your bladder is too eager for your liking.
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