Have you noticed changes in your urinary habits? There are many reasons why this could be the case, as various different medical conditions as well as dietary choices can affect our bladder function. This is why noticing and tracking these changes with a bladder diary is so important. It can help speed up your diagnosis and increase the chances of a successful treatment.
Often doctors who are helping to diagnose urinary health issues will suggest keeping a daily bladder diary at your first appointment to help them understand the changes your body is going through.
Getting a head start on this and getting tips on keeping a bladder diary can help you get the help you need more quickly.
If you’ve visited your GP to talk about your bladder weakness, then you may have been asked to keep a bladder diary for a few days. This is a record of what you eat and drink as well as information about your toilet usage.
The reason for the diary is simple: often symptoms are related to something in our lifestyle, for example our choice of food or drink. It’s also good for the doctor to know when you have the urge to urinate to see whether it’s related to certain activities such as physical exercise, as this could be a sign of stress incontinence.
By understanding your fluid intake and output, together with other details, it’s possible for the doctor to come up with a diagnosis and solution more easily.
Keeping a bladder diary can be as simple or as detailed as you like, but the devil is in the detail, and the more you add the easier it will be to speed up the doctor’s assessment.
A daily bladder diary can be as simple as keeping track of the number of times you go to the toilet. Adding detail such as how much urine you passed, what you have been drinking throughout the day (and how often) can be really useful, as well as recording and leakages that occur during toilet usage or throughout the day. Whether you choose to keep the diary in a notebook or in a bladder diary app on your phone is up to you and whatever you find most useful is best.
We recommend doing this for three days to get the best picture of what is happening but do confirm this with your doctor or nurse as they may need a slightly longer period.
You don’t need to wait for the doctor to keep a bladder diary, and having one prepared without being asked could help to speed up your diagnosis. Let’s take a look at the kind of things you should be recording in an bladder diary.
Your doctor will want to know what, and how often, you are drinking. It’s not just water or beer that will be of interest but also any foods that can be consumed in liquid form, such as ice cream or soup. Record in your diary the times of the day you are taking in the fluid.
Another detail to keep in your bladder diary is how often you urinate, and at what times of the day you use the toilet. There is likely to be a correlation with your fluid intake, but this is usually normal. It’s also really helpful to measure how much you are urinating and, although it’s a bit of a hassle, a measuring jug can help. Remember, you only need to do this for a few days and it’s worth it to massively speed up the diagnosis process and get the help you need faster.
Try to add as much detail as possible if you have the time. Ask yourself questions such as, was your urine an unusual colour, or was the urine flow different than usual? What was going on when you needed to relieve yourself? Did you go before the urge actually came, just to control your toilet visits? Perhaps this was to accommodate work calls or trips?
Did you have to delay going to the toilet due to circumstances beyond your control? Or did the urge come quickly so you had to rush to the toilet, and did you make it in time? All of these details can provide clues to your doctor, so you get the right help for your condition.
Day 1
7:30 AM
Fluid Intake: 1 cup of tea
Urination Time: 8:00 AM
Volume: 250 ml
Circumstances: Urge to urinate felt before leaving for work
10:30 AM
Fluid Intake: 1 glass of water
Urination Time: 11:00 AM
Volume: 300 ml
Circumstances: Urge came suddenly; had to rush to the toilet during a meeting break
1:00 PM
Fluid Intake: Bowl of soup
Urination Time: 1:45 PM
Volume: 300 ml
Circumstances: Went to the toilet before a scheduled work call
3:30 PM
Fluid Intake: 1 coffee
Urination Time: 4:00 PM
Volume: 250 ml
Circumstances: Slight leakage occurred when sneezing
7:00 PM
Fluid Intake: 1 glass of water
Urination Time: 8:00 PM
Volume: 300 ml
Circumstances: Delayed going due to finishing eating
This short example demonstrates how to log key details such as fluid intake, urination times, the volume of urine, and any noteworthy circumstances or symptoms.
By diligently recording your fluid intake, urination patterns, and any related activities or incidents, you gain a clearer understanding of your bladder habits. This invaluable tool not only aids your doctor in diagnosing the underlying causes of your symptoms but can also empower you to make informed lifestyle adjustments that may alleviate . Over time, the insights gained from your bladder diary can help you to manage , enhancing your overall quality of life and restoring confidence in daily activities.
If you need support with incontinence and urine leakage while seeking treatment, you can rely on TENA Men to keep you comfortable and secure. Try our product selector to find a solution tailored to your level of urine leakage. For light leaks you can also try TENA Men Washable Incontinence Boxers which look and feel the same as normal underwear while offering protection and comfort.
