You likely don’t give much thought to your bladder as it works quietly behind the scenes to flush out waste from your body. Since November is National Bladder Awareness Month and we’re urologists, we want you to take a moment or two to consider this vital organ and how to support it.
Bladder issues as you age are common, and urinary incontinence leads the charge, affecting about 25 million Americans.
Whether you want to avoid incontinence or just remain healthy as you age, the team of urology experts at Arizona Urology recommends these best practices for promoting good bladder health.
A great way to keep your bladder healthy is to pay attention to its needs. When it's full and signals you, urinate as soon as you can. Holding your urine can stress your bladder and make you more vulnerable to urinary tract infections.
When you urinate, make sure you’re in a comfortable position to let the urine flow, and make sure to empty your bladder all the way.
Hydration is important on many levels and keeps your bladder clean and flushed out. So, drink plenty of water throughout the day — the darker your urine, the more water you need. When you’re well-hydrated, your urine will be very pale yellow.
Women are more vulnerable to urinary tract infections, and two great practices for avoiding these painful events include urinating after intercourse and wiping from front to back to prevent cross-contamination from your anus.
Up to a third of men aged 65 and older develop benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which the prostate grows large enough to disrupt the flow of urine out of your bladder and into your urethra.
The complications of BPH include bladder stones and urinary tract infections, so we suggest that you have us monitor and treat your BPH to prevent these side effects.
Nearly 1 in 3 adults in the United States is overweight, and 2 out of 5 adults tip the scales into obesity. These extra pounds can place added pressure on your bladder over time and leave you more susceptible to stress urinary incontinence.
So, you can add an improvement in your bladder health to the long list of weight loss benefits.
If you’re chronically constipated, this can stress your bladder as your colon bulges into the organ. So, it’s a good idea to treat your chronic constipation before it affects other organs.
As you age, the tissues that hold your pelvis organs in position can weaken. Called the pelvic floor, this problem is more prevalent in women and can lead to pelvic organ prolapse, which affects 40% of women. That said, men can suffer the consequences of a weak pelvic floor, too — namely erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Whatever your gender, Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor, especially as you age, can help all your pelvic organs, including your bladder. Click on this link to learn more about quick-and-easy Kegel exercises.
Addressing the health of your bladder with these seven strategies can deliver big rewards as you age, taking one less concern off your plate.
If you’d like a more personalized bladder health plan, schedule an appointment at one of our locations in Phoenix, Goodyear, Gilbert, or Glendale, Arizona, to sit down with one of our urology experts.
