Let's talk about water and urinary urgency!
It’s almost summertime, and I hope everyone is feeling good and getting some quality time out in the sun! Spending more time in the heat means paying more attention to your water intake.
Let’s start with a baseline for how much water one should be drinking. It should be about 50% of your body weight in ounces, more so if you are working out a lot, breastfeeding, or out in the sun all day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, 75 oz of water per day is a good goal to have. It sounds like a lot, and you may think “I’ll be peeing all day if I drink that much!” However, water is so important to not only your overall health, but to your bladder health!
So let’s dive a bit deeper into bladder health. We want our bladder and urine to be well-diluted, meaning it is a light, diluted yellow. If your urine is darker, it may be a sign that you are not drinking enough. When your urine is in a more concentrated state (not diluted with water), this can actually lead to more urgency and frequency throughout the day.
There is a misconception that cutting down the amount of water you drink each day will help to reduce the need to pee. However - this is the opposite of what is recommended. Your bladder is sensitive in the fact that it can be irritated by what goes into your body, including - but not limited to - coffee, carbonated beverages, and alcohol. Some of these irritants will cause you to urinate more frequently, but of course every person is different, and some may not notice any changes with them. A good rule of thumb is to drink a 12 oz glass of water prior to a cup of coffee to dilute whatever will eventually filter down to your bladder.
If you are drinking still water, try to sip throughout the day, instead of taking large gulps at lunch and dinner to try and meet your goal. This will allow your body and bladder to filter that fluid through your system at a slow and steady rate.
Typically, urinating every 2-3 hours is a good goal, averaging 5-8 times per day. If you increase the amount of water you are drinking, you may initially notice an increase in frequency, because your body will need some time to adjust to the new amount.
We have to also remember you can train your bladder! Essentially, your bladder will send a message to your brain when it gets to a certain level (about 75% full) that gives you a mild sense of urgency making you start to think about finding a bathroom. We can often get into habits where we don’t have any urgency, but go to the bathroom “just in case.” Examples include before a long car ride or with certain triggers, like walking into your house after work. This can train your body to send a message from your bladder to your brain at only 50% or even 25% full, so you feel like you need to pee way more frequently! The good news is that your bladder is able to be retrained, it just takes some work and determination.
Here is a list of a few things that can contribute to increased urinary frequency and urgency:
Increased stress and anxiety
Nervousness or rushing
Drinking carbonated beverages, coffee, alcohol
Not drinking enough water
Habits such as going to the bathroom every single day after work
What you can do to decrease frequency:
Sip still water throughout the day
Only go to the bathroom if you have the urge to do so
If you are going to drink coffee or alcohol etc, try drinking a glass of water before
Now, here are some basic strategies to suppress or reduce urgency:
Stop what you are doing and sit down if you can
Take 3-4 deep breaths
Distract yourself - think of anything other than the fact that you have the urge to urinate
Do 3-4 kegels
If you still have the urge, you can slowly walk to the bathroom, but if not, you have successfully suppressed the urge to go!
These are just a few things that commonly contribute to urinary urgency and frequency, but there is often more to the story. Seeing a pelvic PT can help to find the root cause of why you may be experiencing these bladder symptoms.
Schedule your FREE 30 minute consultation with one of our pelvic health physical therapists: