Important tips for maintaining bladder health

Every day you can urinate, it is none other than because of the work of several organs including the bladder which holds urine (urine) before it is excreted. If you do not maintain your health, you can develop various bladder diseases.

The bladder is a hollow organ in the human excretory system. Its job is to accommodate the liquid that has been filtered by the kidneys and will be excreted as urine. As you get older, the condition will change and its function will decrease.

Therefore, bladder health must be maintained from an early age. Indeed, not all factors can be controlled, but you still have the opportunity to keep it with simple things that are often forgotten.

How to keep your bladder healthy

Like other organs, the function of the bladder can also be impaired due to certain diseases or conditions. The most common bladder diseases include bacterial infection, cystitis, and loss of urinary control due to urinary incontinence or an overactive bladder.

Here are a list of tips that can help you keep your bladder healthy.

1. Drink water

Every time you drink less water, your body will not only become dehydrated, but also make urine more concentrated and trigger constipation. Both of these conditions will gradually irritate the bladder and lead to urinary incontinence.

Therefore, make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. You can also hydrate your body by eating soup or drinking juice. Limit alcohol, coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks, because caffeine stimulates excessive bladder contractions, causing urine leakage.

2. Not holding back urination

Urinating flushes out bacteria, so it's important to keep your bladder healthy. If you hold urine frequently, the bacteria that should be excreted can come back up into the bladder and cause an infection in the urinary system.

When you urinate, make sure you urinate completely and that no more urine comes out. The remaining urine can trigger a urinary tract infection. So, avoid urinating in a hurry so that you can completely empty your bladder.

3. Urinate after sex

After sex, there are many bacteria that fill the genital area. Bacteria that accumulate in the urinary tract can multiply, then cause an infection characterized by pain and heat when urinating.

You can flush bacteria out of your bladder by peeing regularly after sex. This step is also useful for preventing infection of the urinary tract. After urinating, don't forget to clean the area of ​​your sex organs.

4. Maintain ideal body weight

The more you gain weight, the fat deposits in your body will put more pressure on the bladder. As a result, urine will be increasingly pressed and make it difficult for you to control your urge to urinate.

This is the importance of maintaining an ideal body weight from now on. You do this by exercising, eating more vegetables and fruit, and monitoring your weight regularly. This not only keeps the body in shape, but also keeps the bladder healthy.

5. Do not smoke

Each year, about 50,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer. One of the main factors in this case is smoking. Smokers are 2 - 3 times more likely to develop bladder cancer than nonsmokers.

Referring to the Urology Health page, smoking also irritates the bladder, makes you urinate more frequently, and aggravates urinary incontinence. So, if you are a smoker, you should start reducing this habit from now on.

6. Doing pelvic muscle exercises

Pelvic muscle exercises are one of the most effective ways to keep your bladder healthy. This exercise can strengthen the pelvic muscles that support the organs in the area, improve bladder control, and prevent urinary incontinence.

The most popular form of pelvic floor exercises is Kegel exercises. You can try it by following the steps below.

• While lying down, tighten your lower pelvic muscles as if you were holding pee. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
• Relax your pelvic muscles for 5 seconds. Repeat 4-5 times.
• If you are getting used to it, you can increase the time to 10 seconds or more according to your ability.

7. Limit foods and drinks that irritate the bladder

Consumption of certain foods and drinks can irritate the bladder. If you continue this habit, irritation can worsen an existing disease or make you urinate more frequently.

You don't have to avoid it at all. Take it every now and then and limit the amount to keep your bladder healthy. Foods and beverages that need to be limited include:

• Sour fruits, such as oranges, lemons, and pineapples.
• Spicy food.
• Products made from tomatoes.
• Coffee, tea, and soft drinks, even those that don't contain caffeine.
• Alcoholic beverages.

8. Clean the sex organs properly

After urinating, always clean the penis and vagina from front to back. Do not clean from the opposite direction because bacteria from the anus can transfer to the sex organs and cause urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Women are at higher risk of infection because their urethra is shorter than men. This makes it easier for bacteria from feces to enter the vagina. So, make sure you clean your vagina properly.

By keeping your bladder healthy, you help maintain its function and reduce the risk of various diseases. The key is to meet your water needs, urinate regularly, and lead a clean and healthy lifestyle.

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