Words Erin Craven, CEO & Founder of UROSPOT
Bladder urgency and frequent bathroom trips are two of the most common bladder concerns affecting both women and men. Whether it’s constantly needing to know where the nearest washroom is, waking multiple times at night to pee or feeling sudden overwhelming urges during the day, these symptoms can quickly begin affecting confidence, sleep, exercise, travel and daily routines.
While urgency and frequency are common, they are not something you simply have to accept as a normal part of aging. In fact, many everyday habits may actually be training the bladder to become more sensitive over time.
Here are three common mistakes that may be making urgency and frequency worse – and what you can do instead.
The “Just-In-Case” Pee. Many people use the washroom before leaving the house, before bed or “just in case” – even when their bladder isn’t actually full.
While this seems harmless, repeatedly emptying your bladder too early can train your brain and bladder to communicate differently. Over time, your bladder begins signaling urgency at lower and lower volumes, making you feel like you need to pee more often throughout the day.
Eventually, some people find they can’t walk past a washroom, hear running water or arrive home without suddenly feeling the urge to go.
Instead, try pausing and asking yourself: Is this a situation where I should go, could go, or must go?
Gradually retraining the bladder to hold appropriate volumes can help reduce unnecessary urgency and frequent bathroom trips over time.
Drinking Less to Avoid Peeing More. This is one of the most common strategies people use when dealing with urgency or bladder leaks – reducing how much they drink in hopes of reducing how often they need to go.
Unfortunately, this often backfires.
When you don’t drink enough fluids, urine becomes more concentrated and acidic. That concentrated urine can irritate the bladder lining, which may create stronger feelings of urgency and frequency.
Staying properly hydrated helps dilute urine and reduce irritation inside the bladder. Consistent hydration throughout the day can often help calm urgency symptoms rather than worsen them.
Ignoring Your Pelvic Floor Muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles play an important role in bladder control for both women and men.
When the pelvic floor muscles become weak or poorly coordinated, the bladder can become more difficult to control. This may show up as:
• Sudden urgency
• Frequent bathroom trips
• Bladder leaks
• Waking at night to pee
• Difficulty fully emptying the bladder
• Bladder changes after prostate surgery
• Pelvic heaviness or prolapse symptoms in women
The good news is that these symptoms are treatable. With the right support from pelvic health experts, it is possible to regain control, confidence and quality of life.
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