Is Alcohol Bad For Your Bladder?

It’s no secret that alcohol consumption comes with a bevy of risks and side effects.

While moderate drinkers may not experience the devastating consequences associated with alcoholism, drinking large quantities of red wine, beer or other spirits can take a toll on your body in many different ways.

In this article, we will discuss how alcohol may affect your bladder health.

One Of the Reasons why alcohol is bad for your bladder

Whether you’re a binge drinker or a casual imbiber, overindulging in alcoholic beverages can have negative effects, especially on your bladder.

To explain how alcohol affects the urinary tract, it’s important to understand what happens when an individual urinates normally.

Here’s how it works:

When you need to go to the bathroom, your body starts to send a signal from your brain to your bladder.  As this is happening, your pelvic muscles begin contracting involuntarily to push urine out of the bladder and into the urethra.

The next step in this process involves a muscle called the detrusor contracting and pushing urine through the urethra and out of the body.

Once the urine is excreted, the bladder muscles begin to return to their previous state and start filling up with more urine as you drink, eat and go about your day.

The entire process happens automatically—with little effort on your part—until you need to urinate again.

Alcohol, however, can interfere with the muscles in your urinary tract.   Alcohol harms the detrusor muscle which is responsible for pushing urine through the urethra and out of the body.    If this muscle is impaired, it can lead to urinary incontinence and/or a loss of bladder control.

In addition, the pelvic muscles have a harder time contracting when you drink too much alcohol.  This means that your urine may not be pushed out of your body as quickly as usual.

While not everyone who drinks alcohol will experience urinary incontinence,  it’s important to note that heavy drinkers are at the greatest risk of developing bladder problems as a result of alcohol consumption.

If you’re currently suffering from any type of bladder problem, whether it be urinary incontinence, frequent urination, or painful burning sensations while urinating, drinking alcohol can definitely make these symptoms worse.

The negative effects of alcohol on bladder health increase with the amount you drink and how often you consume alcohol.  If you’re trying to improve your urinary tract health, it is best to avoid drinking entirely or to only consume alcohol in moderation.

Alcohol and Urinary Incontinence

When you drink alcohol, your body releases more urine than usual. Do you ever feel as if you have to urinate more frequently than usual after a few drinks?

Alcohol is a diuretic. This means that the more alcohol you drink, the more your body wants to urinate.

Alcohol makes it harder for stored urine to be released from your bladder. Alcohol prevents muscles in your urinary tract from contracting which can lead to leakage or an inability to empty your bladder completely.

If you’re suffering from any type of bladder damage—irritable bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, low estrogen—alcohol makes these symptoms worse.

What are the side effects of drinking alcohol?

Most of us know that drinking too much alcohol can weaken our inhibitions and lead to embarrassing behavior.

But the negative effects of alcohol extend far beyond this— Alcohol kills 3 million people worldwide every year. (1)

There are many types of injuries and health conditions associated with heavy drinking, such as liver damage, heart disease, stroke, mental health problems, and more.

Drinking too much alcohol can also lead to dehydration—which can make you irritable and tired—and it can cause your breath to smell bad.  Your body will begin breaking down fat for energy after consuming a certain amount of alcohol which may result in nausea or unusual weight gain.

You may also experience serious allergic reactions as a result of drinking alcohol such as hives, itching, and trouble breathing.

Signs that you’re drinking too much alcohol include nausea, vomiting, changes in your sleeping or eating habits, feeling more tired than usual, or experiencing unusual weight gain.  If you regularly drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol, you may be at risk for long-term health risks including liver disease.

How to stop drinking alcohol?

Alcohol is highly addictive which means it may be difficult to stop drinking on your own.  If you are struggling with alcohol here are some tips to stop drinking:

• Don’t keep alcohol in the house.  If you don’t have alcohol to drink, you won’t be tempted to drink it.

• Take notes on why you think you drink alcohol.  This can help you figure out what triggers your drinking and how to avoid them.

• Set a limit for yourself—and stick to it.  This can be difficult, especially if you’re an emotional drinker.

• Stay busy and avoid boredom.  If you are bored or lonely, this may be when alcohol is most tempting to you.

• Reward yourself.  If you make it through the day without drinking, give yourself a small reward to motivate you to continue.

• If you slip up, forgive yourself and start fresh.

• Find support from friends or family members who are also trying to stop drinking alcohol.

• If you think you may need professional treatment, certain medications and therapies can help treat alcohol addiction.

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