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Ever noticed that the colder it gets, the more often you’re dashing to the loo? It’s not your imagination. Disrupted patterns and desperate urges to pee can be difficult to ignore, and you might even wonder whether you’re imagining it.
However, research shows that cold weather can overstimulate our bladders in a phenomenon called cold-induced diuresis, making us need to visit the loo more frequently. Frequent winter bathroom trips can be frustrating, embarrassing, or simply exhausting – especially if you already live with bladder issues.
With this in mind, we’ve partnered with Jude to explore the link between cold weather and bladder health and offer tips to reduce the impact.
Rest Less members can also enjoy an exclusive 25% off Jude’s award-winning Bladder Health Supplement with code TRY25.
What is cold-induced diuresis?
Cold-induced diuresis is your body’s natural response to cold temperatures.
To preserve body heat, small blood vessels, especially in the skin, constrict during a process called vasoconstriction. This reduces blood flow to the skin and extremities, slowing heat loss to the environment, and keeping your core warm. However, as blood volume builds in narrowed blood vessels, the heart has to pump harder, and blood pressure increases.
In an effort to lower blood pressure, the kidneys begin filtering more fluid from your blood, making you need to pee more – even if you haven’t been drinking any more than usual.
According to Jude, cold-induced diuresis is a normal process and, for most people, isn’t a sign of serious issues. That said, it may be more difficult to manage if you have pre-existing conditions like urinary urgency or an overactive bladder.
What else causes you to pee more in winter?
While cold-induced diuresis plays a large role, it’s not the only reason you may need to pee during winter.
Our bladders are sensitive to cold weather, and, according to Jude, lower temperatures can stimulate nerves, causing our bladders to feel full sooner than they actually are. We also sweat less during winter, meaning our bodies have fewer opportunities to rid excess fluid through the skin, leaving our bladders to pick up the slack.
Research also shows that cold weather causes our muscles, including those around the bladder, to contract. This can make bladder control more difficult, particularly if you already struggle with an overactive bladder.
Lastly, it’s no secret that many of us up our intake of hot drinks like tea and coffee during winter, many of which contain caffeine, a diuretic, which can make you need to pee more.
8 tips for managing bladder health during winter
Bladder issues can be difficult to navigate, especially during winter. However, research has identified several things that can help manage and reduce symptoms of cold-induced diuresis and other winter-related bladder struggles. We’ll cover some of these below.
Many people find that simply being aware and understanding the impact that cold weather can have on bladder health is an important first step.
1. Layer up
Because cold-induced diuresis is caused by exposure to lower temperatures, doing what you can to stay warm is one of the best ways to reduce your risk.
Layering up with thermal clothing and using devices like handwarmers and heated blankets can all help reduce the effects of vasoconstriction and limit the amount you need to pee.
2. Don’t reduce your water intake
If you’re worried about needing to rush to the loo, drinking more water might sound counterproductive. But we know from research that dehydration, even when mild, can actually contribute to incontinence and exacerbate symptoms of an overactive bladder. This typically becomes more of an issue during winter, when many of us naturally drink less water.
Because water helps to dilute urine, not drinking enough can cause it to become highly concentrated. This can lead to bladder irritation and bacterial growth, which can increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and kidney stones. Aside from being harmful for bladder health, these outcomes can also cause symptoms like urinary urgency and frequency.
According to Jude, pee that’s dark yellow or amber is a sign that you’re not drinking enough water.
If you struggle to drink the recommended six to eight cups of fluid a day, which works out to about 1.9 litres, things like using a reusable bottle, setting reminders, and flavouring your water can all be helpful. Low-fat milk and sugar-free drinks like tea and coffee all count, too.
3. Take steps to prevent constipation
Our bowels sit very close to our bladder, so if your colon is full, it can cause strain and increase the risk of urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence.
Taking steps to prevent constipation is not only important for your gut, bowel, and bladder health, but is also likely to help reduce the impact of cold-induced diuresis.
When it comes to staying regular, fibre intake is crucial. Fibre promotes the movement of food through the digestive tract, feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and helps to prevent constipation by adding bulk and softness to stool. A lack of fibre can result in stools that become hard, dry, and difficult to pass.
High-fibre foods include raspberries, chia seeds, oats, brown rice, and lentils. Check out our list of 10 healthy ways to add more fibre to your diet to learn more.
4. Limit your intake of caffeine and other bladder irritants
Research shows that diet plays a key role in bladder health, with certain foods known to cause irritation and exacerbate overactive bladder symptoms.
According to Jude, alcohol, added sugar, tomatoes, chillies, citrus fruits, artificial sweeteners, and caffeinated drinks can all irritate your bladder. For example, caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it causes the kidneys to produce more urine. In this study, for example, almost 50% of people over 60 who drank more than one cup of coffee a day reported experiencing symptoms of overactive bladder.
For this reason, doing what you can to reduce your intake of these foods can help. While this can be more difficult over the festive season, even simple swaps like limiting alcohol and choosing decaf tea and coffee can make a big difference. For example, in this study, eliminating caffeine or switching to decaffeinated options was found to improve symptoms of bladder irritation.
Equally, increasing your intake of bladder health-boosting foods like nuts, seeds, fibre-rich foods like wholegrains, and fruit and vegetables with a high water content, such as coconut and watermelon, can be helpful. To learn more, check out our article: What are the best and worst foods for bladder health?
5. Take extra care if you have a cold
Winter is cold and flu season. And if you’ve ever experienced an unusually overactive bladder with a cold, you’re not alone.
Among other things, coughing and sneezing place additional pressure on pelvic floor muscles, which can increase your urge to pee and even result in urine leaks. Some over-the-counter cold medications are also known to increase the risk of constipation.
According to Jude, needing to use the bathroom more when you’re unwell isn’t usually anything to worry about. However, being aware of the link can help you feel more prepared and take steps to prevent or manage leaks. Jude has a guide to managing incontinence when coughing on their website if you’d like more support.
6. Create a regular pelvic floor exercise routine
Bladder health is heavily reliant on the strength of your pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a rich network of nerves, muscles, and fibres that acts like a sling to support pelvic organs, including the bladder, rectum, prostate in men, and vagina and uterus in women.
Having a weak pelvic floor can make bladder control difficult and lead to symptoms like incontinence – all of which can become more problematic during winter. Luckily, like any other muscle, the pelvic floor can be strengthened with simple exercises.
Pelvic floor exercises are commonly called ‘kegels’ and can be performed lying down or sitting in a comfortable position. After relaxing your stomach and buttocks, focus on tightening your pelvic floor by clenching as you would to stop the flow when passing urine.
To create an effective routine, experts recommend squeezing the muscles for three to five seconds, relaxing for three to five seconds, and repeating 15 times. You can build this up over time, working towards squeezing for 10 seconds and increasing the number of repetitions.
In this study, pelvic floor muscle training was found to significantly improve urinary incontinence symptoms. And, even better, you don’t even need to carve out specific times for pelvic floor exercises – you can easily do them in bed, at your desk, or while reading a book.
For more guidance, check out Jude’s beginner’s guide to strengthening your pelvic floor.
7. Consider taking bladder health supplements
Another effective way to support your bladder health during winter (and beyond) is by taking Jude’s Bladder Health Supplement, made with powerful ingredients that support the bladder’s natural flow.
Pumpkin seeds are rich in nutrients like protein, fibre, omega-6, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, folate, and vitamins A, B, E, C, and K, which, among other things, help support nerve and muscle function, and natural tissue elasticity.
Meanwhile, soy germ extract contains phytoestrogens. These plant-based chemicals have similar effects to oestrogen, which is needed to keep your bladder, pelvic floor, and urinary tract healthy. Oestrogen production gradually declines with age, which is why many bladder issues are more common later in life. Soy germ extract may help combat this by keeping your bladder and pelvic floor muscles strong and healthy.
Backed by cutting-edge research and developed with leading nutrition and women’s health experts, Jude’s Bladder Health Supplements have been a game-changer for many. Ninety-five percent of women who tried it said they’d continue taking it beyond 12 weeks.
8. Use incontinence products for peace of mind
If you’re struggling with cold-induced diuresis or are worried about having bladder leaks, investing in incontinence products such as pads, liners, and leak-proof pants can provide invaluable peace of mind.
Jude has a range of bladder health products available on their website if you’d like to browse.
Final thoughts…
If you’ve ever wondered why you need to pee more during winter, you’re certainly not alone. Winter can be a particularly difficult time for those who struggle with bladder issues. But, there’s reason to be encouraged as research shows even simple things like layering up and taking steps to prevent constipation can help.
Jude’s Bladder Health Supplements are designed to help you reconnect with your bladder’s natural flow and have been a game-changer for many women. Rest Less members can also enjoy an exclusive 25% off Jude’s award-winning Bladder Health Supplement with code TRY25.
For further reading, head over to our bladder health section.