Stress & Bladder Problems—What's the Connection? | Tennessee Valley Urology Center

To say we are under a lot of stress lately is an understatement. During these unexpected times, many of us are under a great deal of stress when it comes to our jobs, family, finances and life in general.

All that stress can wreak havoc on your health, particularly if you aren’t taking steps to manage it effectively. Our team at Tennessee Valley Urology Center wants you to understand the impact stress can have on your bladder, as well as what you can do to better manage your stress.

What Does Stress Have to Do with Your Bladder?

Have you ever been scared watching a movie or going through a haunted house and thought you were going to pee on yourself? What about laughing so hard that you thought you were going to experience leakage?

The same effect occurs when you are stressed. When you are under stress, your body goes into fight or flight mode.

With all that adrenaline pumping, it can be easy to understand why all of a sudden you have the urge to urinate. Both anxiety and stress can cause a person to experience a more frequent need to urinate.

Ways to Manage Stress

Learning how to control of your stress can help you to improve your bladder health, as well as your overall health.

Exercise is one of the best ways you can help to combat stress. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins.

These positive endorphins can improve your mood and help you find a sense of calm. Most researchers recommend getting at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Meditation—or even simply sitting quietly with your thoughts—is another way to help alleviate stress. The act of being mindful has a known calming effect.

In addition, using certain scents can help to reduce your feelings of stress. Lavender, frankincense and sandalwood are some of the most commonly used calming scents.

And finally, enjoy some time with the people you love to help lower your stress. Just because we’re social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t be social! Get the girls together for a FaceTime or video conference coffee hour, or even a virtual book club.

We are open at Tennessee Valley Urology Center and taking precautions during this time in order to continue keeping our patients and medical team safe.