We adopted a puppy called Millie and are undergoing the woes of potty training (which is all worth it because look at that face!). Thus, the struggles that accompany potty training a 9-week-old puppy have inspired me to write a post about bladder training.
Did you know that you can train your bladder? Our bladder is a habitual organ made of smooth muscle, and as the bladder fills it stretches which sends a signal that gives us an urge to pee. Similar to dogs, the bladder will respond to environmental triggers (i.e. running water or an air-conditioned supermarket). Do you ever get the sudden urge to run to the bathroom as you are pulling into your driveway? Or maybe when you turn on the shower? If this is you, and you can’t delay the urge then you may have urinary urgency. If this is you, and you feel a few drops running down your leg on the way to the bathroom, then you may have urge incontinence. Urge incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine associated with a strong urge to urinate. It’s normal to feel a strong urge to pee when your bladder is very full, but if you are going more than once every two hours or feel like you need to make a trip to the bathroom JIC before you leave the house, you may have overactive bladder, and pelvic floor PT can help.
With a normal healthy bladder, the first urge occurs when the bladder is half full, and you should be able to delay the first urge. The second urge occurs when the bladder is ⅔ full, typically after 2 to 3 hours. But if you listen to that first urge over and over again, your bladder will become sensitive to smaller and smaller amounts of urine in it. I’ve had patients who felt the urge to go with as little as two tablespoons of urine in their bladder!
Some of the risk factors for urge incontinence and overactive bladder include menopause, pelvic surgeries (including c-sections), diabetes, neurological disorders, history of smoking, and even certain medications can lead to urgency/frequency symptoms.
So what can you do about it?
- When you get the first urge, try to suppress it by taking some deep breaths to calm your nerves, and take your mind off your bladder. You can distract yourself by thinking about your to-do list for the day, or focus on work to see if you can delay the urge by a few minutes. Then calmly walk to the bathroom to empty your bladder. Every time we rush to the bathroom, we’re letting the bladder win!
- Increase your water intake. It may sound counterintuitive, but when you are dehydrated (and the urine color is darker in color), it stimulates your bladder to contract more which will increase the urge to go. A good indicator of adequate hydration is urine that is pale yellow in color.
- Track your fluid intake to determine if there are foods or beverages that may be irritating your bladder. Hello, coffee (weeps quietly).
- Be patient! Similar to potty training a puppy, you can’t train your bladder overnight. These techniques require consistency and it takes time to change a habit.
- If these techniques don’t work, try pelvic floor PT. Sometimes pelvic floor tension can lead to urinary urgency/frequency. And if you do have leakage, then your muscles aren’t strong enough to close off the urethra to stop the flow. In pelvic floor PT, I will take a thorough history to find out the why behind your urinary urgency, so that you can take back control of your bladder.
Wish us luck as we try to train our sweet pup! And if you have any advice please let us know!
If you think you or a loved one may have urinary urgency/frequency and leakage, schedule a free 15 minute discovery call to determine if PT is the right fit for you here.