Help! What's Causing My Urgent Need to Pee?

Urgency - also known as overactive bladder (OAB) - is common and treatable. From hormonal changes in menopause to changes in our diet, here’s the common reasons behind new leaks and urgency that you may be experiencing. 

Emma first experienced urgency when she was going through the menopause. “I found that I suddenly needed to plan where the nearest loo was whenever I went anywhere - the need to pee would come out of nowhere!”

What Is Urge Incontinence?

Urge incontinence happens when the bladder muscles contract involuntarily, creating a strong and immediate need to urinate. Unlike stress incontinence, which is triggered by physical activities like coughing or sneezing, urge incontinence is about urgency - and often without much warning. It can disrupt our daily routine, affect our sleep, and even impact our confidence. 

For Daisy, the biggest impact was on her sense of self. “Leaking really knocked my confidence and sense of self. The stress of worrying where the nearest toilet was made me feel so stressed out. If I was familiar with somewhere, I would decline the invitation because it caused me so much anxiety not knowing how long I had to get to the toilet when the urge came.”

Understanding the main causes of urge incontinence can help us to manage the impact of this condition on our whole lives - but what should we look out for?

Is your diet to blame?

What we eat and drink can have a significant impact on our whole health, but especially our bladder. Certain foods and drinks are known to irritate the bladder, and may even worsen symptoms of urge incontinence:

• Caffeinated Drinks: Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and even decaffeinated options (which still contain small amounts of caffeine) can irritate the bladder and increase urgency. Reducing caffeine intake to less than 100 milligrams per day may help.

• Carbonated Beverages: Fizzy drinks like soda or sparkling water can exacerbate bladder irritation due to their carbonation.

• Spicy and Acidic Foods: Spicy dishes, citrus fruits, and tomato-based products may irritate the bladder lining, leading to increased urgency.

• Artificial Sweeteners: Found in diet sodas and sugar-free products, these can stimulate the bladder and worsen symptoms.

The good news is that if food or drinks are triggering your bladder leaks and urgency, it’s easy to make small adjustments that can have a big impact. Switching to herbal teas, or limiting acidic foods (for example) can reduce irritation and help us regain control.

Are You Peeing Correctly?

It might sound surprising, but how we empty our bladder matters. Rushing when you pee, or not fully emptying the bladder can lead to residual urine build-up, which may increase frequency and urgency over time. It’s really important to take your time, to relax and fully empty the bladder during each visit to the loo to help reduce these symptoms.

The Role of Pelvic Floor Health

Our pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in supporting the bladder and controlling urination. As we age, and start to go through menopause in our midlife years - or even earlier, after childbirth - we can find that our pelvic floor muscles weaken and contribute to urge incontinence. 

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through regular pelvic floor exercises (also known as Kegels) has been shown to significantly improve symptoms, but consistency is key and many women start to forget to do them after a couple of days. Remember, it can take several weeks of committed strengthening exercises to notice improvements, so maintaining the habit of doing 10 squeezes, three times a day can ensure you start to see results in the level of control you have over your pelvic floor,  and a reduction in leaks and urgency. 

Other things to consider

There are other influential things to consider when thinking about your bladder health:

• Hydration: Drinking too little water can concentrate urine, irritating the bladder. Aim for six to eight glasses of fluid daily.

• Weight Management: Excess weight puts pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, worsening symptoms.

• Smoking: Chronic coughing from smoking weakens pelvic floor muscles over time.

• Constipation: Straining during bowel movements can weaken pelvic muscles and exacerbate incontinence.

The good news is that by addressing the things in this list, we can support our overall urinary health. 

Should You See a Doctor?

Many cases of urge incontinence are linked to lifestyle factors or menopause-related changes. However, persistent symptoms could indicate an underlying medical issue. Conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), diabetes, neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, or even bladder abnormalities may require further investigation - so if you are concerned, speak to your GP. Keeping a bladder diary, and noting symptoms, fluid intake and loo visits can help your GP identify potential causes of your urgency and leaks. 

It goes without saying that if you experience pain during urination, blood in your urine, or difficulty emptying your bladder fully, it’s essential to seek medical advice promptly. 

Can you take back control of your bladder?

For many of us, living with urge incontinence can feel overwhelming at times. The good news is that there are plenty of things we can control and do to manage our symptoms and in many cases, it will be sufficient to ease the leaks and dashes to the loo. 

“Working out the most frequent irritants for my bladder, and finding Jude’s Leakproof pants meant that I felt fresher and more confident that I had the time to get to the toilet when I needed it”, explains Daisy, “I stopped drinking coffee, overhauled my diet and that’s helped so much.”

If you are concerned by your symptoms, it’s important to speak to your GP for further reassurance or to have tests on your urinary system to identify possible causes. 

From dietary adjustments and pelvic floor exercises to medical treatments like medications or nerve stimulation therapies, there’s no need to suffer in silence.