Your bladder and urinary tract

What's happening

The bladder may become less elastic with age. That can result in the need to urinate more often. Weakening of bladder muscles and pelvic floor muscles may make it hard to fully empty the bladder or cause a loss of bladder control called urinary incontinence. An enlarged or inflamed prostate also can cause trouble emptying the bladder and incontinence.

Other factors that can play a part in incontinence include being overweight, nerve damage from diabetes, certain medicines, and use of caffeine or alcohol.

What you can do

To help keep the bladder and urinary tract healthy:

• Go to the toilet regularly. It can help to urinate on a regular schedule, such as every hour. Slowly extend the amount of time between your toilet trips.
• Reach and stay at a healthy weight. If you're overweight, eat healthy and get exercise to lose extra weight.
• Don't smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your healthcare professional to help you quit.
• Do Kegel exercises. Kegels are simple exercises for your pelvic floor muscles. To do them, squeeze the muscles you would you use to stop passing gas. Hold the squeeze for three seconds at a time, and then relax for a count of three. Work up to doing the exercise 10 to 15 times in a row, at least three times a day.
• Limit foods and drinks that can irritate the bladder. Caffeine, acidic foods, alcohol and carbonated drinks can make incontinence worse.
• Prevent constipation. Eat more fiber and take other steps to help prevent constipation, because it can make incontinence worse.