Can I 'train' my bladder?

Can I 'train' my bladder?

Jennifer Anger, M.D, M.P.H. (Assistant Professor) gives expert video advice on: What can I do on my own to manage bladder control problems?; Can diet help me solve bladder control problems?; What can I do to make sure I get to the bathroom in time? and more...

Some people run to the toilet because of urinary frequency, but it's mostly because of a discomfort in the bladder. Those patients do well with training their bladder. But before training the bladder has begun, I recommend they see a physician because it's necessary for the physician to asses how big that patient's bladder is. I often doing that with a voiding diary; I have patients record the time and amount of every time they pee, for two days. And then, I look at their diary and see what the biggest volume is that their bladder holds. And if they can hold a big amount, then I know they don't need to be going to the bathroom every ten minutes for small amounts. So those patients are the patients who can best be trained. Patients with overactive bladder, who leak, they will leak if they hold it in too long, so it's not useful to recommend holding it in for patients with overactive bladder. Also, patients with stress incontinence, if they get too full, they're likely to leak more readily with the coughing episode. So many patients with stress incontinence empty their bladder more frequently in order to avoid leakage.