Start by understanding your own pattern
Bladder habits vary from person to person. How often you need to urinate can be influenced by how much you drink, what you drink, medicines, health conditions and other individual factors.
Rather than focusing on a single idea of what is "normal", it can be useful to notice changes from your usual pattern.
Persistent urgency, frequency, leakage, pain or difficulty passing urine deserves appropriate professional assessment rather than simply being treated as a lifestyle problem.
1. Think about fluid intake
Both drinking considerably more fluid than your body needs and restricting fluids too aggressively can affect bladder habits.
Drinking large amounts over a short period may increase urinary frequency and urgency. On the other hand, deliberately drinking too little to avoid toilet visits is not necessarily a good solution.
Fluid requirements differ according to factors such as body size, activity, climate, diet, pregnancy and health conditions. Some people may also have specific fluid recommendations from a healthcare professional.
If you have been advised to restrict or increase fluids because of a medical condition, follow the advice given by your healthcare team rather than making significant changes yourself.
2. Consider how caffeine affects you
Caffeine can influence urinary frequency and urgency in some people.
Sources can include coffee, tea, energy drinks, cola and some other soft drinks.
If you experience urgency or frequent urination, it may be useful to record when you consume caffeinated drinks and whether you notice a relationship with your symptoms.
There is no need to assume that everyone must completely avoid caffeine. Individual responses differ, and gradual changes may be easier to assess than making several dietary changes at once.
3. Be aware of alcohol
Alcohol can increase urine production and may contribute to more frequent toilet visits.
Some people may also notice that particular alcoholic drinks appear to aggravate urgency or other bladder symptoms.
Keeping track of your symptoms alongside what you drink can help identify whether alcohol appears to be relevant to your own pattern.
4. Look after your pelvic floor
The pelvic-floor muscles help support the bladder and other pelvic organs and contribute to bladder control.
Pregnancy, childbirth, ageing and other factors can affect pelvic-floor function.
Pelvic-floor muscle training can be helpful for some forms of urinary incontinence when performed correctly and consistently. However, pelvic-floor problems are not identical in everyone, and simply doing more exercises is not necessarily appropriate for every symptom.
If you are unsure how to perform pelvic-floor exercises or have ongoing bladder-control problems, advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional or pelvic-health specialist may be useful.
5. Don't ignore constipation
Constipation can sometimes contribute to urinary symptoms. Pressure from a full bowel can affect the bladder and make bladder-control problems more difficult for some people.
Maintaining bowel regularity through an appropriate diet, sufficient fluids and physical activity may therefore form part of general bladder wellbeing.
Persistent or severe constipation should be discussed with a healthcare professional rather than managed indefinitely without assessment.
6. Stay physically active
Regular physical activity has broad benefits for general health and can also support healthy weight management and bowel function.
Some people with urinary leakage may avoid exercise because they are worried about accidents. However, avoiding movement altogether can have other health consequences.
If leakage is preventing you from exercising comfortably, professional assessment may help identify strategies appropriate to your symptoms.
7. Consider body weight as part of overall health
Excess body weight can place additional pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor and may contribute to urinary incontinence in some people.
Where weight management is appropriate, gradual and sustainable changes to eating patterns, activity and other lifestyle habits are generally more useful than relying on quick fixes.
Weight is only one possible factor and should not be assumed to explain urinary symptoms without appropriate assessment.
8. Smoking can matter too
Smoking has many established health risks. Frequent coughing associated with smoking can also place repeated pressure on the pelvic floor and may aggravate stress urinary leakage in some people.
If you smoke and want to stop, appropriate local stop-smoking services or healthcare professionals may be able to provide support.
9. Review medicines with a healthcare professional
Some medicines can influence urinary frequency, bladder control or urine production.
For example, medicines intended to remove excess fluid from the body naturally increase urine production.
If you think a medicine may be affecting your bladder, speak to the healthcare professional responsible for your treatment. Do not stop, reduce or change prescribed medication yourself because of urinary symptoms.
10. Consider keeping a bladder diary
A bladder diary can help you understand your everyday pattern and can also provide useful information if you speak with a healthcare professional.
You could record:
- what you drink;
- approximately how much you drink;
- when you drink;
- when you urinate;
- episodes of strong urgency;
- episodes of leakage;
- what you were doing when leakage occurred;
- nighttime toilet visits.
Patterns may become easier to recognise when information is recorded over several days rather than relying entirely on memory.
Don't severely restrict fluids to avoid leakage
It can be tempting to drink much less if you are worried about urgency or leakage.
However, deliberately restricting fluids too aggressively is not a substitute for understanding why the symptoms are occurring.
If managing fluid intake is part of your treatment, follow individual advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
When should bladder symptoms be assessed?
Lifestyle changes should not delay assessment of persistent or concerning urinary symptoms.
Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if you experience ongoing:
- urinary frequency;
- sudden or difficult-to-control urgency;
- urine leakage;
- difficulty emptying your bladder;
- repeated nighttime urination that disrupts sleep;
- recurrent urinary infections;
- pelvic discomfort or other symptoms that concern you.
Seek prompt medical assessment if you cannot pass urine, see blood in your urine, have significant pain, develop symptoms of a serious urinary infection or become significantly unwell.
Use the urgent or emergency healthcare service appropriate to the country where you live.
Women's Urinary & Bladder Health · Why You May Need to Urinate More Often · Women's Urinary Health Guide Library
Where do supplements fit?
Dietary supplements should not be treated as a replacement for assessment of persistent urinary or bladder symptoms.
If you are considering a supplement, review the current ingredient list, suggested use, warnings and supplier information before purchasing.
Discuss suitability with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional where appropriate, particularly if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have an existing health condition.
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View FemiCore product informationSources & further information
- US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): Treatment of bladder control problems
- NIDDK: Diagnosis of bladder control problems
- NHS (UK): 10 ways to stop leaks
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Urinary incontinence
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