During a spasm, the bladder muscles squeeze and contract involuntarily, causing a strong and sudden urge to urinate. When leakage does occur, the condition is known as urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
Risk factors for bladder spasms include being older in age, being a female, having diabetes, being obese, having had a baby recently or being pregnant, having a urinary tract infection, having undergone lower abdominal or pelvic surgery recently, having bladder muscle damage, and having a neurological disease like stroke or multiple sclerosis.
Natural Treatment Methods for Bladder Spasms
Muscle training
You can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by performing Kegel exercises. These are done discreetly by contracting your pelvic muscles as if you were holding in urine. You can first try and practice this by stopping and starting your urine stream while urinating. Once you get the hang of contracting your muscles, you can carry this exercise out throughout your day without anyone knowing. For best results, perform these exercises in different positions such as standing, sitting, and laying down.
Make lifestyle changes
There are several different lifestyle changes you can make to better treat bladder spasms. To start, you can implement timed bladder voiding, where you empty your bladder on a timed schedule. You can start with every couple of hours then extend the time in between urination to strengthen your bladder. Take a close look at your diet for trigger foods which could be triggering your bladder spasms. Highly acidic foods, artificial sweeteners, and chocolate are common trigger foods. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake. Avoid bubble baths as ingredients in bubble bath products can irritate the bladder. Monitor your weight and lose extra pounds as being overweight puts stress on the bladder. Do not smoke as smoke irritates the bladder. Furthermore, a smoker’s cough can put stress on the bladder.
Other Natural Remedies for Bladder Spasms
- Drink plenty of water to help flush out any bacteria that may be contributing to bladder spasms
- Add baking soda to your water to further help eliminate bacteria
- Drink cranberry juice
- Drink corn silk tea
- Always urinate and clean yourself after sexual intercourse
- Chew on garlic or add more garlic to your meals
- Avoid sugary foods and beverages
- Avoid holding in your urine – this weakens the bladder muscles over time
Avoid acidic foods, and foods that contain artificial sweeteners – these can trigger bladder spasms
Other treatments for bladder spasms
Talk to your doctor about your bladder spasms, as they could be a result of a more serious condition that requires treatment. For example, if your bladder spasms are due to a urinary tract infection, you will need antibiotics to treat it. Bladder spasms may also be a result of uncontrolled diabetes or a neurological condition, which must be addressed first in order to alleviate the spasms.
Your doctor will be able to address the underlying cause of your bladder spasms and provide you with appropriate treatment options so you can enjoy your life instead of worrying about possible leaks.