The bladder is an expendable organ that expands when its being filled with fluid and a normal person will have the urge to urinate when its three quarter full. Our urinary system (also referred to as bladder) is essential because it filters extra fluid and wastes from your bloodstream, removing them from your body.
Bladder health is sometimes affected as we age. Some of those changes could be controlled with adjusting our habits and lifestyle, but some are unavoidable. Here is a list of factors that can impact your urinary health, some of which may cause bladder pain and discomfort:
Constipation: Constipation causes excess stool build up in your colon, placing pressure on your bladder and keeping it from expanding freely as it should.
Diabetes: Diabetes can cause damage to the nerves surrounding your bladder that could disrupt bladder control.
Low physical activity: a healthy active lifestyle can prevent bladder issues and maintain a healthy weight.
Being overweight: being overweight causes risk of leaking urine or poor urinary control
Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of bladder cancer.
Some medications: Specific drugs could impact your bladders such as increase the risk of your bladder leaking urine
Caffeine: too much caffeine consumption will also cause problematic bladder.
Alcohol: Consuming alcohol could worsen potential bladder issues.
Diet: Bladder problems can worsen with overconsumption of certain foods such as artificial sweeteners, sodas, citrus, spicy foods and tomato-based foods.
Pelvic injury: Trauma like childbirth or prostate surgery could damage the nerves and muscles that control your bladder and could lead to poor urinary control
Specific activities: Some activities could increase your risk of a urinary tract infection, including having sex, using a catheter to urinate and using specific kinds of birth control.
Urinary tract infections (UTI)
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common – particularly in women and older people. Around one in two women and one in 20 men will get a UTI in their lifetime. Moreover, recurrent UTIs are also common, occurring in up to one-third of women after first-episode UTIs.
Some of the symptoms of UTIs include:
• wanting to urinate more often and urgently, if only a few drops
• burning pain or a ‘scalding’ sensation when urinating
• a feeling that the bladder is still full after urinating
• pain above the pubic bone
• cloudy, bloody or very smelly urine.
Cranberry is one superfood associated with improving urinary tract health. It is a valuable combination of antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre. Many studies have been conducted to study the effectiveness of cranberry juice for urinary tract infections. Cranberry appears to work by preventing the adhesion of bacteria to the bladder wall lining, thus impairing colonization and subsequent infection.
Meta-analyses have established that recurrence rates over 1 year are reduced approximately 35% in young to middle-aged women. A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology did conclude that taking cranberry capsules lowered the risk of UTIs by 50 percent in women. This is because cranberry capsules are more concentrated and work more effectively as opposed to only drinking juice.
Urinary tract infections and bladder issues are associated with pain and stress, especially in cases of frequent recurrence. Thus having a cranberry extract pill will always be a handy preventive method.
Herbal Pharm's Bladder Support has a mixture of cranberry extract together with other key ingredients to help support your optimum bladder health. Say goodbye to UTIs and relieve your discomfort with Bladder Support.
References
Guay DR. Cranberry and urinary tract infections. Drugs. 2009;69(7):775-807. doi: 10.2165/00003495-200969070-00002. PMID: 19441868.
González de Llano D, Moreno-Arribas MV, Bartolomé B. Cranberry Polyphenols and Prevention against Urinary Tract Infections: Relevant Considerations. Molecules. 2020 Aug 1;25(15):3523. doi: 10.3390/molecules25153523. PMID: 32752183; PMCID: PMC7436188.
Betterhealthchannel. 2021. Urinary Tract Infection. Retrieved from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/urinary-tract-infections-uti
Xia J-y, Yang C, Xu D-f, Xia H, Yang L-g, Sun G-j (2021) Consumption of cranberry as adjuvant therapy for urinary tract infections in susceptible populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis. PLoS ONE 16(9): e0256992. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256992
