Using a bladder diary

A bladder diary can be used to help patients understand their symptoms. The patient records the time, type and amount of liquid they drink (e.g. 9am: 2 cups of tea, total 500ml), as well as the time they need to urinate and how much urine they pass.

Suggest that in order to measure the urine they have passed, the patient uses a measuring jug and writes down the amount (in ml) on the diary next to the time. The easiest way to do this is to put a large plastic container in the toilet bowl and wee into it. This will allow the patient to sit or stand comfortably and pass urine naturally. The urine can then be poured into a measuring jug so they can see the amount.