General lifestyle measures that may help include:

• Make getting to the toilet as easy as possible. For people who have difficulty getting about, consider special adaptations like a handrail or a raised seat on the toilet. Sometimes a commode in the bedroom makes life much easier
• Try avoiding caffeine for a week or so to see if symptoms improve. Caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, cola drinks and some analgesics, can stimulate the bladder to make urgency symptoms worse. If symptoms do improve, it may be best to give up caffeine completely or to limit intake. Also, it's important to be near a toilet after having a drink containing caffeine
• Limit alcohol. In some people, alcohol may make symptoms worse
• Drink normal quantities of fluids. It may seem sensible to cut back on the amount of fluid consumed so the bladder does not fill so quickly, but this can make symptoms worse as the urine becomes more concentrated, which may irritate the bladder muscle. Aim to drink normal quantities of fluid each day. This is usually about two litres of fluid a day €“ about six to eight cups, and more in hot climates and hot weather
• Go to the toilet only when you need to. Some people get into the habit of going to the toilet more often than they need to. They may go when their bladder only has a small amount of urine so as €not to be caught short€. This again may sound sensible, as some people think that symptoms of an overactive bladder will not develop if the bladder does not fill very much and is emptied regularly. However, again, this can make symptoms worse in the long run. If a person goes to the toilet too often, their bladder becomes used to holding less urine. The bladder may then become even more sensitive and overactive at times when it is stretched a little €“ for example, when they are out and a toilet is not easily accessible.