Smoking is known to irritate the bladder and make an unstable bladder worse. Caffeine and alcohol have a doubly bad effect, because not only do they stimulate the bladder, but they also stimulate the kidneys to produce more urine. Thus the instability of the bladder is increased, and it also has to cope with a bigger workload. Caffeine is found not only in coffee, but also in tea and some fizzy drinks, and these can worsen symptoms.
A possible compromise as regards alcohol is to switch from beer or other long drinks to spirits or wine, so that at least the volume of liquid passing through the bladder is reduced.
For some people simple adjustments to their diet and lifestyle arrangements may be sufficient to receive noticeable improvements.
Smoking can also cause pelvic organ prolapse
Prolapse is when the pelvic floor muscles become weak or damaged and can no longer support the pelvic organs. The movement of the vaginal wall from its normal position along with the bladder, bowel or womb is caused by damage to the ligaments in the pelvis. These ligaments act as guy ropes supporting the womb and the strength giving layers overlying the bowel and bladder.
The main causes of prolapse are childbearing and any condition leading to chronic straining such as constipation, smokers cough or being overweight. The womb (uterus) is the only organ that actually falls into the vagina. When the bladder and bowel slip out of place, they push up against the walls of the vagina.
Read more about Pelvic Organ Prolapse and how to prevent it, and how to handle it.
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