Don’t let your bladder rule your life

Do you walk into a store, only to have to rush to the nearest bathroom to go? Or, are you about to turn your keys in the lock, only to get the urge that you need to empty your bathroom ASAP?

We actually call this “key in the door syndrome” – and it’s a sign that you have urinary urgency. Many people don’t realize that this is a condition that can be treated with a few easy tactics and if it doesn’t improve, through physical therapy. 

Through physical therapy, we can help improve the communication between the bladder, brain and pelvic floor muscles, which will help resume normal bladder contraction frequency.

In addition, there are a few things that you can do at home to prevent your bladder from controlling your life:

• Skip eating food items like artificial sweeteners, alcohol, citrus foods and caffeine, which can actually irritate your bladder and cause this urgency. Eliminate these from your diet and you will see a difference in your bladder function.
• Drink more water. This may sound counterintuitive, but drinking water every day helps to normalize your bladder activity. It’s recommended that drink half of your body weight, in ounces, in water, every day.
• Think before you go. You can actually train your bladder to adjust to more frequent urination. Whenever you go to the bathroom, you should have a strong stream for at least eight seconds. If you aren’t doing this, it’s a sign that you are going too much.
• Skip the “just in case” bathroom sessions. Don’t force yourself to go to the bathroom because you are about to leave the house or getting ready to see a movie. This can confuse the brain and its signals to the bladder.
• Relax. If you do have the “key in the syndrome” issue going on, take a moment to pause and relax. Breathe in and out a few times and try to think about something else. This may help minimize the urge and even make the need to go to the bathroom disappear entirely.

If you are still experiencing urinary urgency, even with these techniques, schedule some time to see a pelvic physical therapist (we are here to help in the Dallas metro area).