Lifestyle Changes

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K. Jeff Carney, MD
Lifestyle changes are extremely important in the management of overactive bladder, especially smoking cessation. Tobacco contains chemicals which serve as irritants to the bladder. Additionally, the cough that's associated with smoking can induce a patient to actually leak urine.

K. Jeff Carney, MD cont
We ask that patients control their diabetes. Diabetes is a condition that leads to increased production of urine, and an overactive bladder does not handle this increasing production of urine very well. We ask that they lose weight,

K. Jeff Carney, MD cont
especially if they have a tendency to carry that weight around their midsection. And we ask that they develop healthy bowel habits, because a constipated bowel adds additional pressure to the bladder. Additionally, we ask that they develop a urinary schedule where they put themselves on a schedule, perhaps every two or three hours,