What are common bladder problems? How do you know if something is wrong with your bladder? What diseases or disorders affect the bladder? How do you calm an inflamed bladder?

Your bladder health is very important for your overall quality of life and it’s important to know what to look for if something is wrong with your bladder.

The bladder is basically a hollow sphere of muscle, lined by a layer of cells. When the bladder becomes inflamed it responds with several reactions. The most noticeable is a constant urge to void. This is because the muscular wall of the bladder contracts. These small contractions can cause an urge to void, and if the person cannot make it to the bathroom on time, leakage will occur.

Common bladder problems or things to look for if something is wrong with your bladder:

• Leaking urine or incontinence
• Painful or burning urination
• Frequency and urgency to use the bathroom
• Feeling like you need to ‘force it out’ to go, or a stop and start of urine flow many times
• Feeling pain in your lower back with no other cause

Having any of these bladder problems may mean you have an inflamed bladder, which can lead to a variety of different complications or diseases affecting the bladder like bladder disorders, bladder instillations, hematuria or blood in the urine, urinary incontinence or involuntary leaking of urine, urinary tract infections (UTI), voiding dysfunction, interstitial cystitis and more.

There are easy lifestyle and diet habits you can change that may calm an inflamed bladder.

• Keep hydrated and drink water. Drinking water and staying hydrated can calm an inflamed bladder. Drink herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint.
• Eat foods with high fiber. High fiber content will reduce constipation. Constipation may cause extra pressure on the bladder.
• Eat foods rich in magnesium. Magnesium can calm an inflamed bladder by helping in improving nerve function, reducing bladder muscle spasms. These magnesium foods include almonds, green vegetables, whole grains, and fish.
• Avoid drinking high amount of caffeine.
• Moderate your sugar intake. Alongside caffeine, sugar can irritate the bladder. Studies have shown sugar to increase the frequency and urge to urinate.

Should these changes not help, it is important to speak with your doctor about other treatment options. Because of the emotional, physical, and overall severe impacts on quality of life, these bladder problems should not be left untreated. There are many ways to treat, both surgical and nonsurgical, and treatment can improve overall quality of life.