Recently diagnosed
 
Just diagnosed with bladder problems? The good news is that there are a number of easy things you can do to help control your bladder.  
 
Lifestyle changes that can help 
You may already have developed ways of coping with your bladder problems, like only going to places where you know the toilets are easily accessible and not drinking too much so you're not constantly getting up to go to the loo.  
 
If you have been diagnosed with an overactive bladder, there are a number of lifestyle changes that can help. 
 
Drink water, juice or fruit or herbal teas instead of caffeinated drinks. Tea, coffee and colas are all diuretics and can actually stimulate your body's production of urine. It is important that you do not cut down the amount of liquid you drink as this makes your urine even more concentrated and can make bladder problems worse. 
 
Bladder retraining can help improve the symptoms of an overactive bladder but it takes time and determination. The purpose of bladder retraining is to increase the amount of urine the bladder can hold and for you to gain confidence that your bladder can be controlled. Going to the toilet too often, ‘just in case’, can make the symptoms of overactive bladder even worse because the bladder gets used to holding less urine and becomes more sensitive. 
 
If you have been diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence, there are a number of lifestyle changes that can help.  
 
Eat lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and high-fibre foods to avoid constipation, which may be putting extra pressure on your bladder and make you want to urinate even more. 
 
Exercise, like walking, can also help to prevent constipation.  
 
Do pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles at the beginning of the tube leaving your bladder.  
 
Learn how medicines can help