When you have bladder issues, you might feel less encouraged to drink a lot of water, because you feel that this increases your problem. In fact, not drinking enough can make your symptoms worse. Instead you should try to time your fluid intake as well as your bathroom visits to gain better control.
Drinking lots of fluid can help flush bacteria out. Water is best but fruit juices can count for some of your fluid needs as well. You should drink fluid as prescribed by your healthcare professional (often 6-8 glasses or 1.5-2 litres per day).
Tip: Fill one or more bottles or jugs with the recommended amount of water and store them in the fridge. Then the water is kept nice and cold and you know that once you have emptied them you have reached your daily amount.
When you travel or do sports you might want to drink less, because you are afraid of leakage or don’t want to catheterise at inappropriate times. But it is even more important to drink then.
If you travel in a hot climate or sweat during physical exercise you risk dehydrating if you don’t drink enough fluid. Not drinking enough can also result in constipation, which also can affect your bladder health.
When you’ve got a urinary tract infection (UTI)
Increase the amount of water you drink when you’ve got a UTI. Fluids perform two jobs: they help flush bacteria out of your bladder, and thin (dilute) your urine. Urine is made of waste products from your body. Concentrated, dark urine is more irritant and is sometimes more painful to pass when you have a bladder infection. Diluted urine is lighter in colour and usually doesn’t burn as much.
Avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea or cola. Caffeine can irritate your bladder even more when you have an infection.
