Herbs to Strengthen a Weak Bladder

A weak bladder can be an embarrassing problem that can cause you to rush to the restroom unexpectedly or lose control when you cough or sneeze. There are many herbal remedies that holistic medicine practitioners recommend for soothing and strengthening the bladder. However, it is important that you consult your physician to accurately identify the cause of your weak bladder.

Cause

• A clinically weak bladder is caused by weak pelvic muscles that are incapable of holding the opening of the bladder closed, which allows urine to leak into the urethra and out of the body. This problem often results in "stress incontinence" or leaks that occur during heavy lifting, sneezing, coughing or laughing. A weak bladder is often the result of advanced age, or stretching during pregnancy or childbirth.

  However, a much more common cause of incontinence that people often improperly refer to as a "weak bladder" is an overactive bladder muscle. When your bladder is overactive, you may suddenly feel an urgent need to urinate, wake up in the middle of the night to urinate, urinate more than eight times a day, or have urge urinary incontinence due to an inability to make it to the bathroom in time due to the sudden strong urge that cannot be postponed.

Herbal Remedies

• The following herbs are used to treat both weak and overactive bladder problems and are most effective when they are ingested as teas.

  Buchu is a small shrub native to the Cape region of South Africa. When the leaves are taken and boiled as a tea (1/2 cup of tea taken three to four times daily), the active ingredient diosphenol (barosma camphor) cleanses and disinfects the urinary tract which can eliminate any bacteria that may be causing your bladder muscles to be overactive. This herbal tea is also used to strengthen weak bladder muscles, treat incontinence and bedwetting.

  Goldenrod leaves (1/2 cup of tea taken two to three times daily) act as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic. It is often used to treat irritated and atonic (inability to empty) bladders. It is especially useful in treating frequent nocturnal urination that wakes you up at night.

  The high silica content in one cup of horsetail tea (taken two to three times daily) can strengthen and regenerate the tissues of the urinary tract. It is also effective in treating bacterial bladder infections that cause overactive bladder muscles. And although horsetail is a diuretic, it is often used to treat bedwetting in children and incontinence in adults because of its astringent properties.