About Incontinence - Treatment / Management Options - Avoiding Bladder Irritants
Medical Reviewer: Diana Hankey-Underwood, MS, WHNP-BC
There are a number of foods and drinks that most people use every day that can irritate the lining of the bladder. These foods and drinks may cause people with sensitive bladders to have to go to the bathroom more often and need to get to the bathroom sooner. Sometimes this may cause incontinence.
An easy way to check if any food or drink is causing bladder problems is to do a special diet, called an “elimination diet”. Stop eating and drinking all the things listed below for two weeks. Also take out any other foods or drinks that you think may be causing a problem.
If your bladder gets better, then begin to add back to your diet one product each week. If you notice your bladder is acting up, stop using the product that you just added back. Wait two weeks before adding any of the other products. Then, start again to add one thing at a time.
Possible bladder irritants are:
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Caffeine (often in coffee, tea, iced tea, soda, and chocolate)
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Carbonated beverages
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Coffee (including decaf)
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Citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.)
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Fruit juices
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Alcoholic beverages
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Milk, yogurt and other dairy foods
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Cranberries and cranberry juice
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Apples and apple juice
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Spicy foods
Who?
It is hard to stop eating and drinking things we love, but it isn’t painful and it doesn’t cost anything, so most people with incontinence are encouraged to try it. If something that you are eating is the main problem, other drugs and surgery may not help, so it is best to see if this could be part of the problem.
The Pros
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There is no cost, other than finding and buying new foods and drinks.
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The diet is completely non-invasive and can be done at your own pace.
The Cons
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While avoiding bladder irritants can help, sometimes it doesn’t stop all leaking.
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It may be hard to go without eating or drinking something that you like.
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It may be hard to go without things that you have a habit of using, like caffeine.
Diana Hankey-Underwood, MS, WHNP-BC, is Executive Director of Grace Anatomy, Inc. She was recently awarded two National awards: the Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health Bayer Health Care 2007 Inspiration in Women’s Health Award and the National Association For Continence 2007 Continence Care Champion (CCC) award.
Her current work includes research on results of pelvic floor surgery, teaching classes on incontinence and working with international surgeons on improving the outcomes for children born with birth defects of the genitourinary and GI systems.
Page last modified 26 July 2009