The Urology Group of Princeton is please to share this excellent, informative article from the Urology Care Foundation. If you have a sensitive bladder, you will not have to miss out on tasty foods this fall. The key is to know which foods are more likely to irritate your bladder and which ones are more likely to soothe. In general, you will want to avoid coffee, alcohol, citrus fruits, tomato-based products, artificial sweeteners and spicy foods. Read on to learn about 10 bladder-friendly foods. Pears. They are good fall fruits that generally begin to ripen in September and sometimes October depending on the region. Pears are a good source of fiber and about 100 calories per serving. Bananas. Typically available in grocery stores year-round, bananas are great as snacks, toppings for cereals or in smoothies. Green beans. At about 31 calories per 1-cup serving, green beans will add some color to your plate. You can eat them raw, add them to salads or roast them with a little olive oil. Winter squash. Do not let the name fool you. Winter squash are available in both fall and winter. Squash varieties include acorn, butternut and spaghetti. Potatoes. Need a bladder-friendly comfort food when the weather cools down? Try white potatoes or sweet potatoes (yams). Lean proteins. Examples include low-fat beef, pork, chicken, turkey and fish. Especially when baked, steamed or broiled, they are unlikely to bother your bladder. Whole grains. Quinoa, rice and oats are just a few examples of whole grains. They come in many varieties and are generally not expensive. Breads. Overall, breads are bladder-friendly and a nice addition to meals. Bread is also great for delicious turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving. Nuts. Almonds, cashews and peanuts are healthy snacks and rich in protein. Eggs. Also rich in protein, eggs are on several lists as one of the “least bothersome” foods for bladder conditions. For more information, or to discuss urology related symptoms or concerns, please contact us, at 609.924.6487, or click here, to schedule an appointment.

November is Bladder Health Awareness Month and we’d like to remind you that The Urology Group of Princeton now offers Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) as an adjunct to patients with overactive bladder (OAB) for whom behavioral therapy or pharmacology has not sufficiently addressed the associated symptoms of urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and urge incontinence. Also known as Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation, PTNS is a minimally invasive supplementary treatment option for overactive bladder that has been found to be effective at reducing the number of times a person with OAB needs to urinate. Performed as an out-patient procedure, PTNS requires 30-minute treatments once-a-week for 12 weeks and may require ongoing treatments, every 3-weeks or so, to sustain the improvements. For many of our patients, improvements are noticeable by the 6th week. This low-risk, non-surgical treatment works by indirectly providing electrical stimulation to the nerves responsible for bladder and pelvic floor function. PTNS is a form of electro-acupuncture and the most common side-effects are temporary and minor. For a more detailed description of the procedure and possible side-effects, please refer to our earlier post entitled “Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Overactive Bladder”. For more information on Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation and to find out if it is right for you, please contact the Urology Group of Princeton, at 609.924.6487, to schedule a consultation.