What are bladder irritants, and why should I care about them?

Bladder Irritants are things we ingest that signal our body to void, even if the bladder is not necessarily full. Why does this matter? This can train our body to signal our brain that it’s time to go more frequently and more often, leading to disordered voiding. While some people ingest bladder irritants and don’t experience negative side effects, some people are faced with increased urinary urgency, frequency, and the stress that comes with mapping out where each public bathroom is.

The good news? There are strategies to combat this if you are someone who is experiencing these symptoms. Let’s first dive into what the most common bladder irritants are. The three major bladder irritants that have the most research are caffeine, carbonation, and alcohol. There is also research that lists sugar, citrus, and spicy foods as additional bladder irritants.

If you notice that you are urinating more than every 2-4 hours or have increased urgency to get to the bathroom, decreasing bladder irritants may help with these symptoms. Another trick is to take sips of water with your bladder irritant to decrease the irritation on the bladder.

At the end of the day, bladder irritants are a small part of the larger picture. By increasing awareness and working with your pelvic floor therapist, you can work to decrease disordered voiding and take control of your bladder symptoms.

To learn more about your pelvic floor, bowel and bladder habits, and how PT can help, follow us on Instagram at @rootedembodimentpt!