Foods and Drinks That Make You Gotta Go
If you're always rushing to the bathroom, you might assume that the solution is to drink less. Wrong! If you drink less, your urine becomes highly concentrated, which can irritate the bladder. In fact, cutting back on fluids too much may make you run to the bathroom more, not less. There's one exception: try to reduce your intake a bit after 6 p.m. You'll be less likely to get up in the night to go to the bathroom.
Too Little Fluid
Skimping on fluids can backfire by irritating the bladder. How much water should you drink? That depends on many factors, such as your health and level of activity. Some experts recommend drinking about six to eight glasses of water per day. You also get about 20% of your total water intake from food.
Alcoholic Beverages
Beer, wine, or liquor -- in any form, alcohol is dehydrating. But it dehydrates by increasing the amount of urine -- which means more bathroom visits. Alcohol also interferes with brain signals to the bladder about when to release urine. So if you have urinary "urge incontinence," also called overactive bladder (OAB), you may want to cut down on or eliminate alcohol.
Coffee, Tea, Energy Drinks, Colas
Caffeine can also stimulate the bladder and act as a diuretic, causing you to produce more urine. Drinking fewer -- or no -- caffeinated beverages could help you control an overactive bladder, but you might not have to quit coffee, tea, energy drinks, or colas cold turkey. Try switching to decaf beverages, low-acid coffees,
Chocolate Has Caffeine, Too
Chocolate is another trigger for overactive bladder. Can't give up your daily fix? You may not have to. Along with cutting back or avoiding chocolate late in the evening, try switching to white chocolate instead.
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If you're always rushing to the bathroom, you might assume that the solution is to drink less. Wrong! If you drink less, your urine becomes highly concentrated, which can irritate the bladder. In fact, cutting back on fluids too much may make you run to the bathroom more, not less. There's one exception: try to reduce your intake a bit after 6 p.m. You'll be less likely to get up in the night to go to the bathroom.
Too Little Fluid
Skimping on fluids can backfire by irritating the bladder. How much water should you drink? That depends on many factors, such as your health and level of activity. Some experts recommend drinking about six to eight glasses of water per day. You also get about 20% of your total water intake from food.
Alcoholic Beverages
Beer, wine, or liquor -- in any form, alcohol is dehydrating. But it dehydrates by increasing the amount of urine -- which means more bathroom visits. Alcohol also interferes with brain signals to the bladder about when to release urine. So if you have urinary "urge incontinence," also called overactive bladder (OAB), you may want to cut down on or eliminate alcohol.
Coffee, Tea, Energy Drinks, Colas
Caffeine can also stimulate the bladder and act as a diuretic, causing you to produce more urine. Drinking fewer -- or no -- caffeinated beverages could help you control an overactive bladder, but you might not have to quit coffee, tea, energy drinks, or colas cold turkey. Try switching to decaf beverages, low-acid coffees,
Chocolate Has Caffeine, Too
Chocolate is another trigger for overactive bladder. Can't give up your daily fix? You may not have to. Along with cutting back or avoiding chocolate late in the evening, try switching to white chocolate instead.
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