Bladder Pains and Irritants

The bladder pains and irritants can be affected by different factors which we will examine once we understand the main role it plays within the human body. The bladder functions as a holding space for the urine that is processed produced in order to excrete wastes. The process begins in the kidneys, which are a pair of bean-shaped organs that filter the blood by removing wastes and controlling the balance of fluids and electrolytes. As the kidneys filter the blood, they produce urine, which transports the wastes out of the body. The urine is drained through the tubes called ureters, and then transported to the bladder.

The Bladder Function

The bladder is a muscular sac where the urine is stored until being released. As urine accumulates in the bladder, its walls relax and expand. When the bladder is full, it creates the sensation that the person needs to urinate. As the bladder empties the urine, the muscles contract. This squeezes the urine out through the urethra, which is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for excretion. Certain foods and drinks have been found to irritate the bladder, causing frequent urination. Some foods and beverages also cause incontinence, where there is involuntary leakage of urine from the bladder. These can also lead to bladder pain. As a result, these foods and drinks are considered to be bladder pains and irritants. In order to address these three problems: urinary frequency, urge incontinence and bladder pain, elimination of one or more of these bladder irritants from one’s diet can be of great help.

A List of Most Common Bladder Pains and Irritants

For a quick reference, here is a list of most common bladder pains and irritants. Although, people might not have reactions to all of these foods and beverages, it is helpful to test which ones cause the worsening of symptoms.

• Alcoholic beverages
• Apples and apple juice
• Cantaloupe
• Carbonated beverages
• Chili and spicy foods
• Chocolate
• Citrus fruit
• Coffee (including decaffeinated)
• Cranberries and cranberry juice
• Grapes
• Guava
• Milk Products: milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Plums
• Strawberries
• Sugar especially artificial sweeteners, saccharin, aspartame, corn sweeteners, honey, fructose, sucrose, lactose
• Tea
• Tomatoes and tomato juice
• Vitamin B complex
• Vinegar

Firstly, eliminating these bladder pains and irritants and then adhering to this diet, shall most likely improve the symptoms within a few weeks. Once feeling better, the person may begin to reintroduce the foods and beverages one at a time. Should the symptoms return, they will be able to determine which of the foods and drinks causes the irritation. It is also important to remember that as these foods are introduced to the diet, significant amounts of water should be consumed to dilute them and reduce potential bladder pains and irritants.