Part 3 of Bathroom Issues while Traveling
It only takes a few glasses of wine for the subject of bathroom issues to come up at most of our dinner parties, and urinary frequency is a concern that has appeared more than once around our table. This topic of conversation happened yet again while we were enjoying a simple and delicious supper comprised of dishes we enjoyed during a magical vacation in Sicily.
It seems when Dinner Table Doctor and I hit our 50’s along with most of our friends, more people have asked him why they always seem to have to pee frequently. I get it. My family and I once spent a week in Boston, and my children made fun of me for constantly having to seek out a bathroom. I became so familiar with public restrooms in the city, I almost wrote a book called “Wicked Pissah!” to highlight the nicer bathrooms in the Boston metropolitan area, of which I am happy to say there are many to choose from. I insisted that my perpetual need for a clean and available bathroom was just a result of drinking a ton of water and having a small bladder, but I was never like this in my younger days. I figured it was just a part of aging and giving birth to three kids — yes, the same kids making fun of me for having to go to the bathroom. Sadly, a small part of me wondered how I would handle traveling in a place without ubiquitous bathroom access. I did not want to be anxious about seeing new places or to limit my choices based on bathroom availability.
Eventually I listened to my husband, whose medical advice I often choose to ignore until I’m slapped in the face. DTD is not actually slapping me in the face, which is laughable because he is one of the most calm and mild-mannered people I have ever met. Every now and then I receive a metaphorical slap in the face, forcing me to acknowledge a health issue and admit he actually does know what he’s talking about when he doles out medical advice. DTD told me I didn’t necessarily have to live a life of planning activities around a bathroom. While urinary frequency could be part of a larger issue requiring medical intervention, and always warrants a trip to the doctor, there are times when a few simple lifestyle changes can solve the problem.
What causes urinary frequency?
Frequent urination can be a symptom of many different conditions. Since there are multiple causes and some might be a sign of a serious health issue, a visit with your health care provider is step one. DTD has many patients who come to him seeking advice for this problem. Some of the more common causes he considers include:
- Age – People over 70 are especially vulnerable.
- Enlarged prostate – the gland compresses the urethra and leads to the sensation of needing to urinate more often.
- Pregnancy – a growing uterus puts more pressure on the bladder and hormonal changes and increased blood volume also affect urinary frequency.
- Diabetes – high blood sugar levels cause the kidneys to work overtime.
- Urinary tract, bladder, and pelvic conditions
- Medication side effects
- A weak pelvic floor
Solutions
Once you and your doctor identify the cause of frequent urination, you can work on finding a solution for your specific problem. In my case, I had a weak pelvic floor which is quite common among women my age and due to a variety of factors such as age, history of pregnancies, weight, and more. I visited a physical therapist to strengthen my core. It wasn’t a quick fix. The therapist showed me several simple daily exercises. Some of them are as easy as tightening stomach and buttocks muscles while driving or sitting at a desk. After several weeks of consistent exercises, I did not have to make a trip to the bathroom every hour, and after several months, I could go hours without a bathroom visit. What a huge difference this has made, now that I don’t have to plan my activities or travel around bathroom access. If I skip the exercises, I begin to notice the old problems returning within a few days, so it takes consistent effort which is well worth the improvement in my quality of life. I’m not alone, as many studies show pelvic floor exercises improve bladder control for men and women.
DTD says a lot of his patients give up too early when it comes to pelvic floor exercises. They tell him “I tried that for a few weeks, and it didn’t work.” His answer is “You aren’t going to become a body builder or distance runner with a few weeks of effort; it takes time and consistency.”
While it may seem counterintuitive, drinking water regularly can also help you avoid frequent urges to urinate. When dehydrated, urine becomes more concentrated, which can irritate the bladder and cause the urge to go more frequently. Proper hydration helps maintain a regular, comfortable urination pattern. Drink water consistently throughout the day, not just all at once, to avoid overwhelming the bladder. Couple this with strengthening your core to avoid the urgency, and you’re golden!
DTD also recommends patients with urinary frequency avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol, which are diuretics and can dehydrate the body and irritate the bladder. He adds that excess weight can put pressure on the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, leading to problems like urinary incontinence. Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, relieving some of the strain on these muscles. I am now confident that if I ever get rid of my tummy pooch, I will be able to go almost all day without seeking out a bathroom! Sadly, this is hard to do, but the core-strengthening exercises are a start — baby steps!
Our Sicilian Supper
In a previous post (the first of the Bathroom Issues while Traveling series), I wrote about the dream vacation DTD and I took to Sicily. We had so many memorable meals there, and we recently recreated some of the dishes for a simple supper. I was reminiscing while cooking and eating and reminded DTD of my race through Palermo, crying and pleading with shop owners to let me use their bathrooms and the sweet relief when I finally emptied my bladder. The only reason I didn’t pee all over myself was the fact that I have a stronger core, thanks to his sage advice.
Three Farms Island (the farm we visited in Sicily) has several wonderful recipes on their website. As my readers know, DTD is a big believer in a largely plant-based diet, and there are so many options for delicious dishes offered on the Three Farms site. We made the Sicilian Potato Salad and the Arugula Bean Salad.
Additionally, we made a sort of omelet based on a magical meal we enjoyed courtesy of Forno Piano Altro, a wonderful bakery/wine bar/restaurant we visited in Noto, Sicily. The recipe is “pesce d’uovo” which translates to fish made of eggs, even though it has nothing to do with fish. It is a dish for the frugal (or was, when eggs used to be cheap) and Sicilians made it when they couldn’t afford fish. There are many variations, but DTD and I made the simplest, with eggs, cheese, and parsley, swimming in freshly made tomato sauce. All you have to do is dice an onion and sauté it in some good olive oil until it is soft, then add some pureed tomatoes (fresh garden tomatoes are best, but canned work too!) While the sauce is simmering, you make a cheese and parsley frittata; here is a simple recipe we found on SimpleItalianCooking.com. When the frittata is done, let it cool a bit and roll it as tightly as possible, slice it, and let the pieces soak in the sauce. It is fantastic and a chilled prosecco was the perfect touch to make the entire, meatless meal a keeper!
Dinner Table Doctor 