Alcohol and The Impact It Has on Your Bladder and Bowels

Alcohol and bladder control issues

• Increased frequency: If you suffer from any kind of bladder control issue, it is a good idea to watch your alcohol intake. Beer, wine, spirits and all other alcoholic beverages can act as a bladder stimulant, and ultimately lead to incontinence.
• Your over stimulated bladder will make you need to urinate far more often than usual; for people with incontinence paired with other physical issues, they may not be able to make it to the toilet in time.
• Unintentional leakage: Although alcohol is defined as a “depressant,” most people who drink in moderation consume it more for relaxation and its stimulant effect. But this can become problematic when it comes to urinary incontinence, as alcohol can also lead to the relaxation of the bladder muscles, thereby possibly inducing unintentional leakage.
• This can really be a problem if you usually get up in the night to use the toilet – if you have consumed a lot of alcohol and ‘passed out’ you likely won’t get the signal that wakes you. It’s not uncommon for people with bladder leakage problems to wet the bed if they go to bed after having many drinks. If this is the case, you should certainly cut down on their drinking, and use incontinence pads at night time.
• Impaired signals: Alcohol consumption can also cause the brain to send impaired signals to the rest of the body, confusing you as to when you need to go. This might mean that you think you need to use the toilet only to get there and find you don’t, but it is much more likely that you won’t get the warning you need to prevent an accident.

Alcohol consumption and constipation

Dehydration

Dehydration doesn't just mean you're thirsty. It's a dangerous condition that can lead to serious health problems if you don't drink enough fluids to replace what you lose in your urine and bowel movements.

Although alcohol is mostly water, it can dehydrate you because it messes with your body's water levels. Alcohol stimulates your kidneys to produce more urine, which means you're losing more fluid than usual through urination and bowel movements.

You might think that drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages would help prevent dehydration, since they contain water. But as we've already learned, alcohol prevents your pituitary gland from producing ADH (anti-diuretic hormone), which prevents you from urinating. So even though beer is mostly water, when you drink it you'll still end up with less water in your body than before because the alcohol prevents your body from reabsorbing the water through urination like it normally would.

Peristalsis

We have already mentioned the contractions in your small intestine and bowel that cause you to have a bowel movement. Peristalsis is necessary in order to effectively propel food through the digestive track. As alcohol is a depressant, it dampens the nerves needed to cause the process to happen. Chronic drinkers will find that they will experience constipation far more often than those who avoid overconsumption.

When you are drinking you are often more tempted to treat yourself with fatty fried foods, high carb meals and decadent sweets – all of which can lead to constipation (and/or diarrhoea) on their own. If you are planning to have a few drinks, make sure you eat a healthy meal beforehand. A stomach full of wholesome food will prevent the alcohol from absorbing too quickly into your bloodstream. Ideally, it will also prevent you from pigging out on junk food!

The bacteria in our gut

Our gut bacteria may be miniscule, but they are incredibly important when it comes to how you look and feel. While some alcohol can have positive effects on pathogenic bacteria (wine can combat and kill H. pylori, it also destroys the positive bacteria as well. Without a solid amount of good bacteria, you end up with gut problems, soft tissue inflammation and poor digestion. Even a small amount of alcohol can throw these levels off, and lead to chronic constipation.