Food and Drink to Avoid When Living With OAB

The caffeine in coffee acts as a diuretic, or a substance that increases your urine output. Stick to decaf for your daily cup of joe. 

Alcohol messes with the signal between your brain and bladder that tells you when you need to go pee. When that signal isn’t working well, you’re more likely to have accidents. Drinking can also dehydrate you and irritate your bladder.

Fizzy, sugary drinks pack a wallop when it comes to bladder function. Carbonation triggers irritation, sugar stimulates the bladder, and if the soda has caffeine, your body increases urine output as a result.  

Like sugar, artificial sweeteners increase bladder urgency and frequency, ramping up your need to go.

Foods with a kick can bother the lining of your bladder and also cause chronic bladder pain. If you go overboard with spicy foods, you’re also at risk of bowel issues, too.  

Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes -- and their juices -- are on the "no" list for OAB. Citrus irritates your bladder, giving you the urge to pee. 

Foods such as milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, and ice cream are common bladder irritants. Keeping a food diary can help you figure out whether dairy is a trigger for you. 

If you’re sensitive to gluten, eating foods with wheat, rye, and barley can trigger OAB symptoms. 

Pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, and just plain tomatoes are all highly acidic, which makes your urine also more acidic. Acidic urine irritates your bladder and ups your chances of having OAB symptoms.

The caffeine and sugar content in chocolate both work against your favor if you have OAB. The good news? White chocolate is still on the menu.