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Bladder Health: Treating and Preventing Kidney Stones

Posted on November 16, 2021
by Michelle Stepp

Our kidneys are responsible for removing waste from the blood and passing that out of our bodies through urine. Sometimes, crystals can begin to form in the kidneys when there is a buildup of waste, and those crystals are called kidney stones. These crystals can be as small as a grain of salt or as large as a golf ball. The larger the kidney stones, the more difficult and painful they are to pass.

So what causes the development of kidney stones, and how can they be prevented? We will discuss that now and hopefully provide helpful information about keeping your bladder healthy and avoiding kidney stones.

What causes kidney stones to form?

There are many risk factors for kidney stones. Anyone can get them, although statistics show that men are more likely than women.

Some of the risk factors of kidney stones are:

Your diet is high in protein, salt, and sugar
You are overweight
You do not drink enough water
You previously had kidney stones
Other family members have had kidney stones
You have polycystic kidney disease
You have had an intestinal surgery such as gastric bypass surgery
You take diuretics or calcium antacids

Most kidney stones can be easily passed through urine; however, if the kidney stone is too large to pass through the urethra, it can block the urinary tract, and an alternate treatment may be needed.

What are the treatment options for kidney stones?

First, always consult your doctor if there is blood in your urine, you have pain when you urinate, or you are experiencing extreme discomfort in your lower back or abdomen. These could be signs that your kidney stone is too large to pass naturally.

Your doctor may run some blood and urine tests as well as a scan to determine the size of your kidney stones. If your kidney stones are small, your doctor may tell you to drink plenty of water and take pain medication to help push them through your urinary tract.

If the kidney stones are too large to pass naturally, there are a few alternative treatment options.

Lithotripsy

This treatment is done under general anesthesia and uses a focused ultrasound to break up the larger kidney stones into smaller pieces. These smaller kidney stones can then be passed through the urine.

Ureteroscopy

This treatment is also done under general anesthesia. A long tube is inserted into the urethra and then through the bladder. The doctor either removes the stones directly from the ureter or uses a laser to break them into smaller pieces. More detailed information about this procedure can be found at https://urology.ufl.edu/patient-care/stone-disease/procedures/ureteroscopy-and-laser-lithotripsy/.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

When other therapies have failed, this treatment can be used to remove kidney stones. The doctor inserts a scope into the back through a small incision and removes the kidney stones. This procedure is done while under general anesthesia, and more detailed information can be found at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17349-percutaneous-nephrolithotomy.

How can kidney stones be prevented?

One of the key ways to reduce your risk of developing kidney stones is to drink extra water. By drinking a lot of water, the substances in the urine that lead to kidney stones are diluted. It is recommended to drink at least ten 10-ounce glasses of water each day. This amount translates into approximately three quarts of water.

Some tips for drinking more water include:

Add flavor to your water by freezing fruits and using those as an alternative to ice cubes.
Try adding honey and lemon to hot water for soothing and warm hydration when the weather is cold.
Opt for unsweetened sparkling water.
Try using a water bottle that features marked increments as reminders to track your daily water consumption.

You can find smart products that can help you stay hydrated at https://www.nbcnews.com/select/lifestyle/10-smart-products-will-make-upping-your-water-intake-no-ncna759776.

Some diet tips to help prevent kidney stones include:

Try cutting down on salty foods like frozen meats, cheese, canned soups, salty snacks, and certain salad dressings. Reading product labels to determine the content of sodium can be very helpful. More information for the recommended daily sodium intake can be found at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sodium-per-day.
To prevent uric acid kidney stones, it may be helpful to try reducing your intake of shellfish and red meat.

Remember that you should never start, stop, or change your diet without consulting with your doctor.

Having a healthy bladder is essential to everyone. By maintaining a proper fluid intake, eating a well-balanced diet, and keeping your weight under control, you can help avoid kidney stones and other bladder complications such as incontinence, urinary tract infections (UTIs), adult bedwetting, to name a few.

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Behavioral Changes for a Better Bladder

Posted on January 16, 2020May 4, 2021
by Michelle Stepp

We take great pride in offering the very best incontinence supplies on the market today. Our incontinence supplies are offered to help our customers live happier, healthier lives. A lot of happiness comes from a sense of comfort. Unfortunately, lack of bladder control can often cause a lack of confidence. Fortunately, there are behavioral changes that can be made that can provide some relief and help with better bladder health.

What Causes an Overactive Bladder?

When the muscles of the bladder begin to involuntarily contract, a sudden urge to urinate comes about, whether or not your bladder is full. Feeling the need to use the toilet more often than normal during the day or noticing that you need to urinate several times throughout the night suggests that you might be suffering from an overactive bladder.

So how does a person end up with an overactive bladder? There are some neurological conditions that affect the transmitted signals between the bladder muscle and the nerves such as Parkinson’s disease, a stroke, or Multiple Sclerosis. However, suffering from diabetes, a spinal cord injury, or a birth defect can also be conditions that can lead to an overactive bladder because of nerve damage.

How Diet Affects an Overactive Bladder

The first behavioral change a person can make to improve their overactive bladder is to make some minor dietary changes. Many people who suffer from an overactive bladder don’t realize that they are doing more harm than good by drinking their morning cup of coffee or enjoying a sugary treat for dessert. Different people have different bladder triggers, so it’s important for each person to listen to their body and discuss their symptoms with their doctor. A great habit to start is keeping a Bladder Journal. Track food and drink intake and notate how your body reacts to different foods.

The most common trigger foods and drinks include:

Alcohol
Coffee
Chocolate
Sodas
Citrus Juices
Spicy and Acidic Foods
Tomatoes

nutritional items that can aggravate and overactive bladder

collage of coffee mug, brownies, tomatoes, and alcoholic beverages

Pelvic Floor Exercise May Prevent Leaks

After diet, it’s important that a person with an overactive bladder regularly exercises. Exercise not only helps tone muscles and manage weight; it also contributes to better bladder health. The more overweight a person is, the more likely they are to be impacted by leaks. While all exercise is helpful, the most important exercises for those who suffer from incontinence are those that strengthen the pelvic floor. Talking with a physical therapist can show a person what it takes to strengthen their pelvic floor so that they can retain urine in their bladder for longer periods of time.

Coughing, sneezing, and laughing can all cause leakage. Coughing fits caused by smoking are common, so while it’s important to quit smoking for a number of reasons, it’s certainly important to stop smoking for anyone who battles urinary incontinence.

Keeping a Bladder Journal Can Help

In reference to the bladder diary mentioned earlier, it can be used to help a person that is attempting to retrain their bladder. The first step of retraining the bladder is creating benchmarks. If you urinate every hour, you have your benchmark. The first goal can be every hour and 10 minutes and it can continue to progress in increments. When the urge to go hits, a person can try different breathing techniques to relax until the urge passes and they can reach a restroom. When a goal is achieved for more than one week, the timing goal can be extended. The more a person practices, the better their overactive bladder systems will be.

We’ve provided a sample Bladder Diary that you can download and save or print for your convenience to help you on your journey to better bladder health.

bladder diary to help with overactive bladder page 1

Making a few changes and talking to your doctor can really help if you suffer from an overactive bladder. If you have any questions about the incontinence supplies we offer, please give us a call and one of our Product Experts would be happy to guide you through our selections. We carry everything from liners and pads to briefs and underpads that range from light to heavy leakage protection. Whatever your needs are to manage your overactive bladder or help you along the way to better bladder health, we are sure to have the incontinence supplies you need!

Maintaining a Healthy Bladder

Posted on November 15, 2019June 22, 2021
by Michelle Stepp

Similar to a balloon, the bladder is a hollow organ made of tissue that stretches and holds our urine until we are ready to release. It is part of our urinary system that includes the kidneys and urethra. We all use our bladder several times each and every day, but do we know how to keep this organ healthy?

There are several things that can affect the health of our bladder. We will discuss what those are, the signs that you should look for, and how you might be able to prevent them here.

What Can Affect the Bladder's Health

Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious disease that can affect many parts of the body and can lead to other health problems such as nerve damage. The bladder is made up of many nerves that could be damaged by diabetes. This damage could affect a person’s bladder control.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

When bacteria grows in the urethra and bladder, a UTI has occurred. A bladder infection is the most common type of UTI and can cause urinary urge incontinence. This is when there is a frequent and sudden need to urinate and may also cause you to leak urine before making it to the restroom. One common activity that might cause a UTI is the use of a catheter to urinate. Indwelling catheters introduce bacteria into the lining of the bladder, causing irritation and infection. Closed catheter systems may be helpful in preventing UTIs.

Constipation

Constipation can happen when a person doesn’t have enough fiber in their diet, are taking certain medications, have a medical condition, or are inactive for long periods of time. This puts pressure on the bladder because of the stool that is built up in the colon. The bladder is unable to stretch like it should, therefore affecting the bladder’s health.

Being Overweight

When a person carries a lot of extra weight, it increases pressure on the abdomen and bladder. This can also contribute to the weakening of the pelvic muscles and result in leakage from the bladder.

Smoking

You may not think smoking has any relation to the health of one’s bladder, but the opposite is the case. Smoking causes harmful chemicals to collect in the urine and affect the bladder’s lining. This can ultimately lead to bladder cancer. Because the chemicals from smoking make their way directly into the bloodstream, they are filtered into the kidneys potentially forming ‘stones’. Kidney stones pass through the urethral tract, which can be a painful process. Also, ‘Smoker’s Cough’ can cause spasms in the bladder and lead to leakage.

man on a scale and woman lighting a cigarette

Signs You May Have a Bladder Problem

Every person is different, therefore each person’s bladder behaves differently and some signs you may be experiencing could mean you have a problem with your bladder.

Come of the most common signs of a bladder probem are:

Strong and frequent urges to urinate (urinary urge incontinence)
Blood in the urine
Cloudy urine
Waking up multiple times throughout the night to go to the bathroom
Leaking urine or the unability to hold it until you get to a restroom (urinary incontinence)
Experiencing a burning sensation before, during, or after urinating
Problems fully emptying your bladder

Just like any other health concern, always consult your doctor for their professional opinion if you are experiencing any of these symptoms. They may be able to do some testing to see if your bladder is actually in an unhealthy state and offer the right treatment options available to you if necessary.

Some Tips to Keep a Healthy Bladder

Even though we cannot control everything that happens to our overall health, including our bladder, we can take some measures to improve the health of our bladder. Here are a few suggestions that may contribute to keeping your bladder healthy:

Stay Active and Maintain a Healthy Weight

As we mentioned earlier, keeping your weight down will lessen any pressure on the bladder and allow you to release urine when it’s actually full. Exercising will also help to maintain a healthy weight and prevent possible constipation that can irritate the bladder.

Drink Enough Water

Try to drink the equivalent to your body weight in ounces of water each day. For most, this is 6-8 glasses of water per day. The bladder loves water and it is one of the best fluids that can help maintain its health. When you are getting enough fluids, your urine can flow freely and should be pale in color and odor-free.

woman drinking water and a group of women doing yoga in a park

Limit Intake of Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol are known to increase bladder activity and can lead to a higher frequency and urgency to urinate. Reducing the intake of these types of beverages may help decrease these symptoms.

Do Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises

Known as Kegel exercises, doing pelvic floor exercises help to strengthen the pelvic muscles and prevent leaking. The stronger the muscles, the better the bladder is at holding in the urine until you can use a restroom.

Void Often and When You Need To

Try to never hold the need to use the restroom. Holding urine in the bladder for extended periods of time can not only lead to a bladder infection, but it can also weaken the muscles.

Make Sure to Wipe Correctly

For females, be sure to wipe from front to back after using the toilet. This process will help keep bacteria away from the urethra that could cause a UTI as we previously mentioned.

Maintaining a healthy bladder is good for your general health and an important organ to take care of. Should you have a medical condition that causes you to have urinary incontinence or urge incontinence, we offer products that might help you confidently get through your days and nights. As always, consult with your doctor first if you have any concerns that your bladder is not functioning properly.

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Tag: bladder health

Bladder Health: Treating and Preventing Kidney Stones

What causes kidney stones to form?