5 all-natural ways to improve your bladder control
Smart tweaks to stop the leaks.
Jan, 2026
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Slide 1
You're grocery shopping, distractedly pushing your full cart through aisle 5, when suddenly, you're seized by the need to use the bathroom—badly. Does this sound familiar? If it consistently happens at least eight times in 24 hours, you might have overactive bladder (OAB), a condition defined by the frequent, pressing urge to urinate, occasionally accompanied by leakage.
Unlike many other conditions, treating OAB often begins at home, with a combination of simple exercises, diet modifications, and behavioral strategies. Here's how to get started—after seeing your healthcare provider (HCP), of course.
Written byKristen Sturt.
Medically reviewed byMark Arredondo, MD.
Sources: Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder. May 3 + 11
- Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder. May 3, 2022.
- UCUrology. Female Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Symptoms, Types, and Treatment Options. July 24, 2022.
- Cleveland Clinic. Kegel Exercises. Last reviewed February 1, 2023.
- MedlinePlus. Kegel exercises – self care. Reviewed January 1, 2023.
- Cheryl Iglesia, MD. 5 Things I Wish All Women Knew About Pelvic Organ Prolapse. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Last reviewed December 2021.
- Cleveland Clinic. Overactive Bladder. Last reviewed September 13, 2022.
- University of California San Francisco. Bladder Training. Accessed October 5, 2023.
- Urology Care Foundation. Ask the Experts: If I Have Incontinence, Should I Drink Less Water to Stop Leaking? Accessed October 5, 2023.
- Bradley CS, Erickson BA, Messersmith EE, et al. Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN). Evidence of the Impact of Diet, Fluid Intake, Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Systematic Review. J Urol. 2017 Nov;198(5):1010-1020.
- Mihalsky KP, Tran R, Moreno-Garcia F, et al. Urinary incontinence in women who have undergone bariatric surgery. Surg Endosc. 2023 Aug 16.
- Rogo-Gupta LJ, Yang L, Stefanick ML, et al. Low-fat dietary pattern reduces urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women: post hoc analysis of the Women's Health Initiative Diet Modification Trial. AJOG Glob Rep. 2021 Dec 10;2(1):100044.
- Urology Care Foundation. Overactive Bladder Patient Guide. 2021.
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