Urologyc.com

PATIENT HANDOUT
A Common sense approach
To lower urinary tract
hypersensitivity in women
What you can do to help relieve your symptoms
The purpose of this handout is to provide information that can
Dietary irritants to the urinary tract to avoid
help you discover what you are ingesting or doing that may be contributing to your recurrent irritative voiding symptoms and what Certain foods can contribute to urinary frequency, urgency and steps you can take to relieve your discomfort.
discomfort. If bladder symptoms are related to dietary factors, strict Frequency, urgency, and pain on urination are symptoms of adherence to a diet that eliminates the food should bring significant inflammation or irritation. These symptoms can be caused by bacterial relief in 10 days. Once you are feeling better, your can begin to add infections or substances in the urine causing irritation to the lining of foods back into your diet, one at a time. If symptoms return you will the bladder or urethra. Bacterial infections can be treated by be able to identify the irritant. As you add foods back to your diet it is antibiotics. But irritation of the bladder or urethra can result from very important that you drink significant amount of water. other causes that will probably not respond to antibiotics.
These foods are acidic and considered irritants to the bladder. Theyshould be avoided.
What to do at the first sign of bladder or urethral
discomfort
The basic treatment for irritable bladder symptoms, whether induced by bacterial or nonbacterial irritants, is hydration. At the first sign of discomfort, start hydration by drinking 16 oz of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Then drink 8 oz of plain water every 20 Repeat drinking 16 oz of water with baking soda in 3 to 4 hours.
(Baking soda contains sodium and can cause fluid retention. If you have a history of high blood pressure, do not use more than twice in 24 You can take acetaminophen to relieve pain (two extra-strength or *Some women report that sugar flares their symptoms.
Bladder analgesics such as phenazopyridine (Pyridium) may help and Low-acid fruit substitutions include apricots, papaya, pears, and will not alter the results of a urine culture should the symptoms not be watermelon. Coffee drinkers can drink Kava or other low-acid instant significantly relieved by diluting the urine and flushing out the bladder.
drinks. Tea drinkers can substitute noncitrus herbal and sun-brewed A warm bath to help muscles of the pelvis relax will also help lessen teas. Calcium ascorbate can be substituted for Vitamin C.
the discomfort.
Before staring any antibiotics, a urine culture must be taken. If the Where to get more information
conservative measures mentioned above are not helping, call the officeto arrange for a urine culture. If the specimen is contaminated with Overcoming Bladder Disorders by Rebecca Chalker and Kristene E.
vaginal cells and bacteria and you are severely symptomatic, then a catheterized specimen should be obtained directly from you bladder to You Don't Have to Live with Cystitis! By Larrian Gillespie, Avon, determine precisely whether bacterial infection is the cause of your IMPOTENCE • INFERTALITY • LASER SERGERY • ONCOLOGIC SURGERY • INCONTINENCE • FEMALE UROLOGY PROSTATE DISORDERS• STONE DISINTEGRATION• VASECTOMY REVERSAL• NEUROGENIC BLADDER• PEDIATRIC UROLOGY

Source: http://www.urologyc.com/ucc_handout.pdf