Find yourself embarrassed by sudden bladder urgency that makes you run to the toilet! There is help, let me explain…
In my pelvic health physical therapy practice, one of the most common signs of overactive bladder is sudden intense urgency that has you running to the toilet. The unpredictable nature of urgency means that you are taken by surprise and the strength of the urgency feels overwhelming.
As a result, you find yourself hurrying, or running to the bathroom. Unfortunately, this strategy, while well-meaning, only worsens your bladder urgency! What is there to do?
Time to take off the track shoes and find out!
It’s important to remember that bladder urgency is not always created by a full bladder. Bladder urgency can also originate from auditory, and visual cues.
This means that sounds like running water, and seeing your front door can create urgency on their own. This type of sensory urgency is commonly in the form of water triggers or hand-on-the-door knob visual triggers.
Urgency can also come from your emotional state. So if you are stressed or anxious, you might feel urgency sending you off to the toilet. With all of these potential triggers, you might be asking yourself…
Why is my bladder so sensitive?
As it turns out your bladder has nerves that come from our sympathetic nervous system. This is our fight or flight system and it is designed to keep us safe.
Because our sympathetic nervous system is connected to your bladder, it’s sensitive to your emotional state. This is why you get bladder urgency when you are worried, anxious, or upset.
If you are nodding in agreement, and want more information on how feeling nervous or anxious affects your bladder, check out my blog here.
The sudden nature of bladder urgency takes you by surprise and leaves you feeling vulnerable. No one wants to have bladder leaks, so the prospect of having the urge come on and not being able to get to a toilet in time can feel debilitating.
In order to manage the situation, you may feel the need to hurry or run to the bathroom. Unfortunately, hurrying, or running to the toilet only feeds into the stress and anxiety of the situation and actually makes the urgency worse!
The more you hurry, the stronger your bladder urgency gets.
This is because you are subconsciously tapping into a panic response. Your sensitive nervous system is triggered and it actually increases the urgency that you feel.
Remember your bladder has a sensory connection to your brain, when your brain is triggered and in panic mode, you are not going to feel in control. This feeling of a lack of control ultimately affects your confidence.
Untreated bladder urgency erodes your confidence!
The worst part of bladder urgency is that it quietly chips away at your self-esteem, willingness to leave your home, and ultimately your freedom. So how do you gain the upper hand with bladder urgency?
The important thing to remember about bladder urgency is that once it starts it will end. It will not continue on indefinitely.
Bladder urgency is like a wave. It has a trigger that initiates the wave it builds in intensity and then diminishes. It’s important to meet the wave with the strategy listed below:
If you start to feel bladder urgency coming on;
1. Quickly contract your pelvic floor muscles 10 times or hold the muscles tight. These are the muscles in the vaginal area, so think about closing the vaginal opening and lifting them upward like an elevator.
These are also the same muscles you use to hold back urine. After ten quick ‘elevators’ or Kegels simply holding the muscles in, notice how this helps to decrease the urgency.
2. Positive self-talk is important! Calming words to yourself is essential so that you stay out of panic mode and your brain doesn’t feel under threat. I recommend a few positive mantras such as:
I’ve got this.
I have this under control.
I can do this!
3. Distraction! After all of the above steps, shift your focus to something else. Think of all the times you were super busy and didn’t feel bladder urgency.
4. Most of all, take a few breaths and wait for the urgency to pass.
By delaying urination you build the confidence and muscle control that puts you back in charge! Once the urge has passed, check in with your body and decide if you really need to go.
If you do, then walk slowly (intentionally slowly) to the bathroom. If the urgency comes on again, stop and repeat the above steps again. You have to gain control at every point along the way.
Once you have conquered bladder urgency, you will notice the anxiety and worry melt away. Suddenly you are not preoccupied with mapping out your day around available bathrooms.
Yay!
Still, feel like you could use some individual help?
I’m happy to help with private bladder health coaching.
Happy Bladder wishes!
~ Tami
Tami Lines is a licensed Physical Therapist with certifications in Pelvic Rehabilitation and Women’s Health Coaching. She is the founder of Pelvic-Health-Matters. Tami has over 15 years of experience with expertise in bladder Health, and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction for adolescent and adult women. She is also a mom of two wonderful young adults working their way through college.
References:
Clarkson BD, O Connell K, Conklin CA. Reproducing situationally triggered urgency incontinence in a controlled environment. Neurourol Urodyn. 2020 Nov;39(8):2520-2526. doi: 10.1002/nau.24524. Epub 2020 Sep 25. PMID: 32976670.
Monteiro S, Riccetto C, Araújo A, Galo L, Brito N, Botelho S. Efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training in women with overactive bladder syndrome: a systematic review. Int Urogynecol J. 2018 Nov;29(11):1565-1573. doi: 10.1007/s00192-018-3602-x. Epub 2018 Apr 11. PMID: 29644384.
