Bladder Pain At Night Female

How Is Nocturia Treated

Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS) / Interstitial Cystitis (IC)

Nocturia is treated on a case-by-case basis under the direction of a physician. This treatment may contain lifestyle modifications, medication, or both.

Lifestyle modifications to improve nocturia include:

Preemptive voiding before bedtime Ensuring that there is as little urine in your bladder as possible right before bed can help eliminate the need to get up to urinate at night.

Intentional nocturnal and late afternoon dehydration Ensure that you are consuming enough fluids during the day, but limit them in the 2-4 hours before you go to bed.

Salt restriction In patients with a high salt intake, a reduction in salt has been clinically shown to reduce instances of nighttime urination

Dietary restriction of caffeine and alcohol Caffeine increases bladder activity and therefore can cause nighttime urination, especially if consumed later in the day . Alcohol can function as a bladder irritant and should be avoided as well.

Adjustment of medication timing Different medications, especially diuretic medications, can impact nighttime urine production. Note that it is extremely important to consult with your doctor before making any changes to your medication.

Use of compression stockings with afternoon and evening leg elevation Elevating the legs and use of compression stockings helps to prevent fluid build-up in the legs. This ensures the fluids are properly distributed throughout the bloodstream and helps reduce the need to urinate.

Nocturia Medication

Supportive Therapies And Treatments

Some people may also find the following therapies and supportive treatments helpful:

physiotherapy a specialist pelvic floor physiotherapist can help you relax your muscles to ease pain.
acupuncture may help with pain relief
talking therapies and counselling to help you cope with your symptoms and their impact on your life
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation where a small battery-operated device is used to relieve pain by sending electrical impulses into your body
pain management ask the GP to refer you to a pain specialist

What Is Painful Bladder Syndrome

Painful Bladder Syndrome

Painful bladder syndrome is a condition that causes bladder pain, pressure, or discomfort. Some people feel the need to urinate frequently or rush to get to the bathroom. The symptoms range from mild to severe and can happen sometimes or all the time. PBS is not caused by an infection, but it can feel like a urinary tract infection or UTI. Painful bladder syndrome is also referred to as bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis. In the past, doctors thought PBS was rare and difficult to treat. We now know that PBS affects many women and men and treatments are helpful.

What causes PBS?

No one knows for sure, but we think PBS happens when the inner lining of the bladder is not working properly. This means that nerves in the wall of the bladder become hypersensitive so the normal feeling of the bladder filling can be painful. There may also be inflammation or allergic reaction responses in the bladder. Some people report developing PBS after an injury to the bladder such as a severe bladder infection or major trauma, but this is not always the case. PBS is more common in people who have irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or other chronic pain conditions. It is not clear why these problems happen together.

What are the symptoms of PBS?

How is PBS diagnosed?

Do I need a cystoscopy?

How is PBS treated?

Simple changes to diet or routines can help some people with bladder pain. Steps might include

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How Common Is Nocturia

Nocturia is quite common among both men and women. Studies and surveys have found that 69% of men and 76% of women over age 40 report getting up to go to the bathroom at least once per night. About one-third of adults over age 30 make two or more nightly bathroom trips.

Nocturia can affect younger people, but it becomes more common with age, especially in older men. It is estimated that nearly 50% of men in their seventies have to wake up at least twice per night to urinate. Overall, nocturia may affect up to 80% of elderly people.

Rates of nocturia have been found to be higher in people who are black and Hispanic than in white people even when controlling for gender and age. The reason for this disparity is not well understood.

Nocturia frequently occurs during pregnancy but usually goes away within three months after giving birth.

How Is Bladder Pain Syndrome Treated

Nighttime Incontinence or Nighttime Bed Wetting

There is no cure for bladder pain syndrome. But your doctor will try different treatments to figure out how to improve your symptoms.

The first treatment many people try includes steps you can take at home. Sometimes, by changing what you eat, you can make your symptoms go away. But even when symptoms do go away, they may return days or years later.

If your symptoms do not get better, other treatments your doctor may suggest include:10

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Cystitis In Men And Older People

Men tend to get cystitis later in life. Where trouble with urine flow is a symptom, this may indicate that the underlying cause is a problem with their prostate gland.

Cystitis is common in older people, particularly if they are unwell. Bladder catheters and some urinary-tract operations may also increase the risk of cystitis.

Things You Can Do To Help Interstitial Cystitis

Lifestyle changes will usually be recommended first.

Things that may help improve your symptoms include:

reducing stress anything that helps you relax, such as exercise or regular warm baths, may help reduce your symptoms, and recent evidence suggests that mindfulness-based techniques, such as meditation, can help
avoiding certain foods or drinks if you notice they make your symptoms worse but do not make significant changes to your diet without seeking medical advice first
stopping smoking the chemicals you breathe in while smoking may irritate your bladder
controlling how much you drink try to reduce the amount you drink before going to bed
planned toilet breaks taking regular planned toilet breaks may help stop your bladder becoming too full

You may also find it useful to contact a support group, such as the Interstitial Cystitis Association or Bladder Health UK for information and advice about living with interstitial cystitis.

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Things You Can Do To Help Bps

Things that may help improve your symptoms include:

reducing stress try exercise, warm baths and mindfulness-based meditation techniques
making sure you are hydrated regularly throughout the day
keeping a food diary if you notice certain foods or drinks make symptoms worse, avoid them, but ask for medical advice first
stopping smoking the chemicals in cigarettes can irritate your bladder

How Is Interstitial Cystitis Treated

Understanding Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Although IC/PBS cannot be cured, there are many ways to treat it. There is no way to predict who will respond best to certain treatments. Symptoms of IC/PBS may become more severe, or may disappear. Even if symptoms disappear, they may return after days, weeks, months or years.

Treatments for IC/PBS are aimed at relieving symptoms. Doctors will help decide the appropriate treatment for the patient. For some patients, treatments are combined.

Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder treatments can include:

Diet: Some people with IC/PBS find that certain foods or drinks make their symptoms worse. You may find it helpful to keep a diary of what you eat and drink to see if any foods or drinks cause symptoms and/or flare-ups. For patients who have IC/PBS, acidic foods may irritate the bladder. If this is the case, your doctor may recommend taking an antacid with meals to reduce the amount of acid that gets into the urine. You may also want to remove certain foods from your diet, such as:
Artificial sweeteners

Physical activity: Exercise and physical activity may help relieve the symptoms of IC/PBS. Exercises can include:

Gentle stretching

Reducing stress: Stress can trigger flare-ups and symptoms in someone who has IC/PBS. Learning stress reduction methods and setting aside time for relaxation may make living with IC/PBS easier.

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Symptoms Of Interstitial Cystitis

sudden strong urges to pee
needing to pee more often than normal
waking up several times during the night to go to the toilet

The pain may be worse when your bladder is full and may be temporarily relieved when you go to the toilet.

You might also find the pain is worse during periods or after having certain foods or drinks.

The symptoms will often come and go in phases. You may have episodes lasting days, weeks or months where your symptoms improve, followed by times when theyre worse.

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How Does My Doctor Know I Have Interstitial Cystitis

You may have interstitial cystitis if any of the following occur:

You have to urinate often or urgently
You have pelvic or bladder pain
A urologist finds bladder wall inflammation, pinpoint bleeding or ulcers during an exam with a special scope that looks inside your bladder
Your doctor has ruled out other diseases such as urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, bladder cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and, in men, chronic prostatitis

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Get A Diagnosis Not A Self

Its also important to consider whether the uterus and other organs of the gynecological system could be causing bladder pain, Siddiqui says, as they are close to the bladder. Pelvic floor dysfunction, such as tightness or spasms of the pelvic muscles, commonly occurs with bladder pain and may make bladder pain worse, she explains. Pelvic pain can also be caused by endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or ovarian cysts. Additionally, gastrointestinal problems such as inflammatory bowel diseases can sometimes be the source of pelvic pain, notes Mayo Clinic.

If none of these conditions are present and women have ongoing bladder pain, they are typically treated for bladder pain syndrome, which refers to painful conditions of the bladder where other causes such as UTI and cancer have been excluded,” says Siddiqui.

The bottom line for women to keep in mind: Dont self-diagnose your bladder pain. Addressing and treating the issue can offer relief for body and mind.

What Is Bladder Pain

Bladder pain is a common condition, primarily in women, that can be attributed to a few different factors. These can include a urinary tract infection, Bladder stones, Crohns Disease or even bladder cancer.

But by far the most common cause of bladder pain is a condition known as Interstitial Cystitis , or as it is sometimes referred to, Painful Bladder Syndrome . It occurs when your bladder becomes inflamed or irritated and is likely to be at its most painful with a full bladder.

Until recently, Painful Bladder Syndrome had been hard to diagnose. For that reason, the number of people suffering the condition have been unclear, although estimates suggest it could be more than 60,000 Australians . PBS can also, to a lesser extent, affect men and children.

Do Baths Make A Uti Worse

If a woman already has a UTI, taking a bath or sitting in a hot tub can increase irritation. Harsh soaps for baths and abrasive chemicals used to keep hot tubs clean can also lead to irritation. Taking baths or sitting in hot tubs wont cause UTIs, but it can irritate the skin in the groin and disrupt the pH balance. This makes it easier for the infection to occur. Fans of hot tubs should avoid staying in wet bathing suits for extended periods of time, and fans of baths should be sure to pick out a pH-balanced soap.

Bladder Cancer: Less Common In Women

Bladder cancer is rare, especially in women. Of the roughly 83,730 new diagnoses each year in the United States, about 19,450 are in women, according to the American Cancer Society . The most common symptom is blood in the urine some women also experience a painful, burning sensation when urinating.

Bladder cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. According to the ACS, most people need surgery to remove a tumor or tumors. All or parts of the bladder are removed in severe cases.

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What Is Frequent Or Painful Urination

Urination is the process of passing liquid waste from the body in the form of urine. For most people, the bladder holds urine until it is convenient for them to use the toilet. Urination is normally painless.

Most people urinate four to eight times a day depending on fluid intake. Frequent urination is when a person needs to urinate much more often, experiences an urgent need to urinate or when a person urinates more frequently than is normal for him or her.

Painful urination is more common in women than in men. In both men and women it results in pain, discomfort, burning or stinging. Pain may be felt at the spot where urine leaves the body or inside the body at the prostate , bladder or behind the pubic bone at the lower part of the pelvis.

Frequent urination or painful urination can indicate another physical problem and should be evaluated by a physician.

Limiting Irritating Food And Drinks

Relief for painful bladder and interstitial cystitis IC | ChristiMD Medical Group

Drinking as much plain, still water as you can throughout the day is a solution to this, as it will help keep the urine less concentrated and will help flush out infection too.

Avoid drinks and foods that irritate the bladder lining, to help minimise unwanted stinging and burning sensations.

Foods and drinks such as tea, coffee, other caffeinated drinks including fizzy drinks, alcohol, processed meat, and spicy food are ones to consider reducing your intake of. Simple carbs including sources of refined sugar, sugary foods and foods containing white flour, such as white bread or white rice are ones to consider too.

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Further Help For Bladder Pain

If you are concerned about your problem and it is starting to affect your day-to-day life make an appointment to see your doctor as you may need to be referred to a specialist.

If you are experiencing bladder pain you can contact a continence nurse or specialist physiotherapist, who are healthcare professionals who specialise in bladder and bowel problems.

Information on this page has been updated with the help of www.painful-bladder.org. If youd like to read their information sheet on painful bladder / interstitial cystitis please click here.

You can also find information about painful bladder / interstitial cystitis on the Bladder Health UK website bladderhealthuk.org, Email , Telephone 0121 702 0820

Causes Of Painful Urination

Several kinds of infection or inflammation can cause painful urination. These include:

Urethritis and prostatitis. These two inflammatory conditions are the most frequent causes of painful urination in men.
Vaginal infection, such as a yeast infection. Women who have a vaginal infection may notice vaginal odor, discharge and painful urination.
Sexually transmitted infections. STIs such as chlamydia, genital herpes and gonorrhea can cause painful urination.
Can be caused by:
Irritation of the urethra from sexual activity or activities like bicycling or horseback riding.
Irritation from douches, spermicides, bubble baths, soap or toilet paper with fragrance.
Side effects of certain medications, supplements and treatments.
Stones in the urinary tract.
Vaginal changes related to menopause .
Tumor in the urinary tract.

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Most Common Causes And Treatments Of Bladder Pain In Women

Many people suffer from bladder pain without knowing the direct cause.

Bladder pain might be embarrassing, and some women choose not to seek treatment. Unfortunately, bladder pain can be a symptom of some harmful conditions. If treatment isnt sought and administered, the situation could become serious.

If you or a loved one is suffering from an irritated bladder with no obvious cause, youre taking a good first step by researching.

Keep reading to learn about several common causes of bladder pain and how they can be treated.

What To Expect At Your Office Visit

Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions such as:

When did the problem start and has it changed over time?
How often do you urinate each night and how much urine do you release each time?
Do you ever have âaccidentsâ or bedwetting?
What makes the problem worse or better?
How much fluid do you drink before bedtime? Have you tried limiting fluids before bedtime?
What other symptoms do you have? Do you have increased thirst, pain or burning on urination, fever, abdominal pain, or back pain?
What medicines are you taking? Have you changed your diet?
Do you drink caffeine and alcohol? If so, how much do you consume each day and when during the day?
Have you had any bladder infections in the past?
Do you have a family history of diabetes?
Does nighttime urination interfere with your sleep?

Tests that may be performed include:

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What Are Other Health Risks Related To Nocturia

The consequences of frequent urination at night go beyond just poor sleep. For older adults, nocturia creates a higher risk of falls, especially if they are rushing to get to the bathroom. Studies indicate that fall and fracture risks increase by 50% or more for people with two or more nighttime bathroom trips.

Nocturia has been associated with reduced scores on quality of life measurements as well as negative health conditions including depression. Beyond specific negative impacts, nocturia has also been connected to higher overall mortality although further research is necessary to fully understand this correlation.

Changes In Bladder Habits Or Symptoms Of Irritation

Bladder cancer can sometimes cause changes in urination, such as:

Having to urinate more often than usual
Pain or burning during urination
Feeling as if you need to go right away, even when your bladder isn’t full
Having trouble urinating or having a weak urine stream
Having to get up to urinate many times during the night

These symptoms are more likely to be caused by a urinary tract infection , bladder stones, an overactive bladder, or an enlarged prostate . Still, its important to have them checked by a doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

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