An overactive bladder increases the urge to urinate even when the bladder is not full. The bladder goes to a constant state of contraction and can even cause a person to involuntarily urinate. Such a condition is common as people age. Here are some of the lifestyle changes to manage overactive bladder.

1. Pelvic Exercises
Talk to your doctor or a physiotherapist about pelvic exercises that can help control the bladder. These exercises are also called Kegels, and one can practice them regularly to get back control of bladder movements.

2. Check on Liquid Intake
The urge to urinate after consuming liquids is natural. One of the best lifestyle changes to manage an overactive bladder is to keep a check on one’s liquid intake. If one is planning to go out grocery shopping or meet friends, they should not drink a lot of water, juices, or other fluids as these fluids may increase one’s urge to urinate a lot more. Similarly, one must stop drinking liquids at least an hour before going to sleep. This will prevent a person from having to wake up for frequent toilet trips.

3. Avoid Aggravating Foods and Beverages
Given below is a list of foods and beverages that can aggravate an overactive bladder and result in a variety of urinary issues. These foods are called bladder irritants:

• Carbonated drinks
• All kinds of alcoholic drinks
• Energy drinks
• Coffee and tea
• Spicy foods
• Excessively sweet foods
• Citrus fruits
• Tomato-based foods

Completely eliminating all these foods is, realistically, a drastic step to take at once. However, one of the useful lifestyle changes to manage overactive bladder is to restrict them as much as one can and prevent having a combination of all these at once.

4. Knowing Toilet-break Patterns
Over time, it is easy to identify one’s toilet pattern. Some of the questions that need answering while determining these patterns are “What kinds of foods make you urinate more?” and “At what times do you feel the need to use the restroom?” Some people also keep a bladder diary. They slowly try to extend the time between urinating to train the bladder.

5. Use of Absorbents
There is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing absorbent pads, diapers, or padded underwear to keep one protected in case of accidents. In fact, knowing there is a protective layer will increase one’s confidence levels and will help them step out of the house and meet friends and family. One must talk to their doctor to understand what kinds of protective wear they may feel comfortable in.

All these lifestyle changes to manage overactive bladder can help one deal with this problem the right way and manage one’s everyday life without having to deal with any unexpected hassles.