Using an intermittent catheter to empty your bladder can give you the freedom to do things you just couldn’t with a permanent catheter. The key to successfully using an intermittent catheter is to follow a daily catheterization schedule. A daily catheterization schedule can ensure that your bladder is emptied regularly keeping your body in its healthy routine. 

Keep reading to find out how a daily catheterization schedule can help you to minimize health risks, and how you can remind yourself to keep up with your daily catheterization schedule.

Why You Should Consider A Daily Catheterization Schedule?

Using an intermittent catheter and setting a daily schedule can prevent urine from remaining in the bladder for too long. Regularly expelling urine will minimize health risks and help you to maintain good hygiene. 

Here are just a few benefits of sticking to a daily catheterization schedule. 

If the amount of urine in your bladder exceeds your bladder’s capacity, you can expect some leakage. The human bladder can expand to hold up to two cups of urine or even more, but when that capacity is reached, the urine has to go somewhere.

Following a daily catheterization schedule will ensure that your bladder is regularly emptied before reaching capacity so that leakage is prevented. 

If leakage continues even while following your daily catheterization schedule, make sure to let your physician know about it. 

Emptying your bladder regularly is key to minimizing the risk of urinary tract infections. Allowing urine to sit in your bladder for too long will lead to it becoming stagnant. 

This could possibly result in the overgrowth of bacteria and a UTI. Sticking to your daily catheterization schedule will help your bladder to flush out that bacteria, preventing overgrowth and any kind of infection that may come along with it.

Holding on to too much urine for too long can cause increased pressure on your bladder, potentially leading to kidney infection or even long-term damage to your kidneys. Preventing urine from backing up into your kidneys is crucial to maintaining good kidney health.

Setting Up Your Daily Catheterization Schedule

It’s important to discuss with your doctor what your daily catheterization schedule should look like. Your schedule and how often you need to self-catheterize will depend on your condition, your fluid intake, and your doctor’s recommendations. Most people self-catheterize 4–6 times per day (every 4–6 hours), but it’s important to follow your physician’s instructions and the schedule that they recommend. 

Keeping Up With Your Daily Catheterization Schedule

Intermittent catheterization gives you great personal freedom, but it’s important to remember to keep up with your schedule. It’s easy to forget to self-catheterize on time but there are a couple of ways that you can make it easier for yourself.

One way is by setting your watch or phone alarm to remind you every time you need to self-catheterize. Having a set reminder that never fails to grab your attention is the best way to stay on schedule.

Additionally, make sure that when planning your daily schedule you make time for self-catheterization. Trying to fit too much stuff into your day is a surefire way to mess up your catheterization schedule. Don’t let your schedule rule your life, but make sure it has a central place. 

You may initially have to make some small adjustments to your daily schedule and always remembering to self-catheterize can be tough. But over time, you will likely get into the habit of self-catheterizing on schedule and probably won’t need to rely on reminders anymore. 

Want to learn more about catheters and self-catheterization? Contact us today to find out how we can help you!

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