Are There Any Overactive Bladder Treatments For Dementia
The less we know part was that many physicians and most patients are not aware of this connection. Nor are they aware that alternative overactive bladder treatments can be just as effective, even more effective, than the drugs that increase the risk of dementia, which are called anticholinergic medications.
Risk Factors And Causes Of Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder is the result of nerve damage to the bladder and pelvic floor, the system of muscles, nerves and ligaments that support the bladder, uterus and anus. Damage to other parts of the nervous system can also play a part, especially when thereâs a hitch in the communication between the bladder and the brain. This means that the brain doesnât receive proper signals that itâs time to go.
There are a number of urge incontinence risk factors for women with an overactive bladder:
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ChildbirthOveractive bladder in women is often caused by nerve damage resulting from a C-section. It can also be caused by nerve damage sustained during natural childbirth.
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Previous pelvic surgeryIn addition to past C-sections, any other previous pelvic surgery may have damaged the nerves connected to your pelvic floor and bladder.
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Neurological diseaseDiseases that affect the nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinsonâs, stroke or even diabetes, can create a hitch in the brainâs communication with the bladder muscles and the nerve function in and around the bladder, resulting in an overactive bladder.
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MedicationsSome medications can also play a role in the sensitivity of your bladder and the surrounding nerves.
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Urinary tract infection The irritation and inflammation caused by urinary tract infections will result in an aggravated and overactive bladder. However, this is temporary. As soon as the infection clears up, your bladder should function normally.
What Does Bladder Pressure Feel Like
The most noticeable symptom of IC is pain and pressure in the bladder. The pain you experience may range from mild to severe. For some, the pressure can come and go. For others, the feeling doesnt let up.
These symptoms may lead you to think that you have a bladder infection, but IC isnt an infection at all. Its a chronic condition, which means that there isnt cure.
Other symptoms of IC include:
- pelvic pain
- pain while bladder is full and relief when its emptied
- pain during sex
Signs and symptoms vary. Some people may need to urinate up to 60 times each day. You may also experience periods of time when you have no symptoms.
Although IC isnt a UTI, getting an infection can make your symptoms worse.
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What Do Bladder Spasms Feel Like
Normally, the bladder gently fills with urine and you slowly become aware of the need to urinate. This feeling is your cue to start looking for a bathroom.
But in people who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or “detrusor contraction,” occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
People who have had such spasms describe them as a cramping pain and sometimes as a burning sensation. Some women with severe bladder spasms compared the muscle contractions to severe menstrual cramps and even labor pains experienced during childbirth.
What Foods To Avoid If You Have An Overactive Bladder
What should you limit or remove from your diet?
- carbonated beverages, such as sparkling water.
- caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and tea.
- chocolate.
- sports drinks, such as Gatorade.
- citrus fruit.
- tomatoes and tomato-based products, including ketchup, tomato sauce, and chili.
- spicy foods.
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Exercises To Relax Your Bladder Muscle
This can help decrease the urgency of the feeling when it comes. Some call these exercises “quick flicks”, because you quickly squeeze, then release the muscles in your pelvis several times. When you get that “gotta go” feeling, squeeze and then relax your pelvic floor muscles several times. This sends a message to your nervous system and back to your bladder to stop squeezing. As your bladder stops squeezing and starts relaxing, the urgent feeling starts to lessen. When you do this exercise, it helps to be still and relaxed, and concentrate just on the quick flicks.
Try these techniques and your symptoms should improve. Drugs, injections, and surgery are options down the road, but it’s best to avoid them, and many people can. So start by doing the things that are most natural!
How Do You Know If You Have Got Bladder Stones
If you are displaying any symptoms of bladder stones including abdominal pain and cloudy/dark urine, then you need to go and see your GP. Here is how your doctor will diagnose bladder stones:
Urinalysis This is used to identify any crystallisation, infection or any another abnormality in your urine.
CT Scan The specific type of CT scan used to diagnose bladder stones is called a Spiral CT scan and is more effective than normal CT scans. This scan will check for any complications within your bladder.
Pelvis ultrasound By using soundwaves, this ultrasound is capable of creating images of the inside of your body and these will help your doctor to see if stones are present within your bladder.
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What Causes Bladder Pressure
Doctors arent sure what exactly causes IC. What they do know is that the bladder normally fills and then tells your brain to use the bathroom. It communicates this through the nerves in your body.
With IC, these signals get mixed up. You may feel like you need to urinate more frequently but without a lot of urine at each bathroom trip.
Bladder pressure may also be caused by:
- a defect in the lining of the bladder
- an autoimmune reaction
IC is more common in women than in men. Some people who have IC, also have other health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Other pain syndromes are also possible.
People who have both fair skin and red hair also have a greater risk of IC.
IC is primarily diagnosed in people in their 30s or older.
What Behavioral Changes Can I Make To Help With Overactive Bladder
There are many techniques and changes to your typical behavior that you can try to help with an overactive bladder. These can include:
Keeping a log: During a typical day, write down your fluid intake, the number of times you urinate, the number of accidents and when they occur. Make a note about what happened when the accident happened, like when you:
- Cough.
- Laugh.
- Were unable to reach the bathroom in time.
Monitoring your diet: Eliminate or decrease foods or beverages that may worsen your bladder symptoms. These could include:
- Tea.
- Spicy and acidic foods and drinks.
- Foods and drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.
Maintaining bowel regularity: Constipation can place added pressure on the bladder and have a negative effect on your bladder function. By keeping healthy bowel habits, you may be able to avoid constipation and help to lessen bladder symptoms. The following are some suggestions for maintaining bowel regularity:
- Increase your fiber intake by eating foods like beans, pasta, oatmeal, bran cereal, whole wheat bread, and fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Every morning, take 2 tablespoons of this mixture: 1 cup apple sauce, 1 cup unprocessed wheat bran, and ¾ cup prune juice.
- Exercise regularly to maintain regular bowel movements.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Being overweight can add pressure on your bladder, which may contribute to bladder control problems. If you are overweight, weight loss can reduce the pressure on your bladder.
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What Makes You More Likely To Suffer From Cystitis
Being sexually active Females will sometimes get cystitis from having sex as a result of bacteria entering the urinary tract via the urethra. It is recommended that women pee after sex as this can cleanse the urethra from potentially harmful bacteria which could cause infection.
Wiping from Back to Front After going to the toilet it is recommended that females wipe from front to back as this will help to prevent bacteria from entering the urethra.
Having a urinary catheter inserted into your urethra to help to drain the bladder of urine
If you are pregnant This can place greater pressure on the bladder and therefore make you more susceptible to getting cystitis
Having diabetes High sugar levels in the urine can make the bladder a breeding ground for bacteria.
Using a diaphragm for contraception Spermicides in diaphragms can kill good bacteria in the vagina and therefore increase the chances of bad causing infections
Having a weakened immune system Your immune system may have an overaction to a previous infection and this can therefore make you more prone to bladder infections in the future
Natural Treatment For Overactive Bladder
Bladder training and pelvic floor exercises are just two natural treatments for overactive bladder. Research suggests that these nondrug remedies can be very effective for many women, and they have almost no side effects.
But before starting any OAB treatment, itâs important to understand bladder function and what things may cause overactive bladder.
Another way to strengthen pelvic floor muscles is electrical stimulation, which sends a small electrical pulse to the area via electrodes placed in the vagina or rectum.
Until you get your overactive bladder under control, wearing absorbent pads can help hide any leakage.
Other lifestyle tips for preventing incontinence include:
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How Do You Get Rid Of Bladder Stones
Sometimes, bladder stones will pass naturally, particularly if they are small. If this is not possible then procedures must be taken to remove the stones:
Breaking bladder stones apart This involves a small tube with a camera attached being inserted into the bladder to enable the doctor to see where the stone is. Once the stone has been located, a laser, ultrasound or alternative method is used to break the stones into smaller pieces before flushing them from the bladder.
Removing bladder stones through surgery Sometimes the bladder stones are too large to be broken up and therefore need to be removed through surgery by your doctor.
References
What Can You Do For An Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder, or OAB, is a condition that causes a sudden urge to urinate, and affects both men and women. The urge may be difficult to stop, and overactive bladder may lead to the involuntary loss of urine, known as urge incontinence.
If you have overactive bladder, you may feel embarrassed, isolate yourself or limit your work and social life. The good news is that a brief evaluation can determine whether there’s a specific cause for your overactive bladder symptoms.
Is an overactive bladder common?
Overactive bladder affects over 33 million Americans. Urge incontinence is the most prominent form of incontinence among women in the U.S., where 1 in 4 women over 18 experience episodes of leaking urine involuntary.
What causes an overactive bladder?
Pregnancy, childbirth and menopause all are major reasons of the increased prevalence of incontinence in women as compared to men. Normally, when your bladder is full of urine, the brain signals the bladder to empty. Your bladder muscles contract and force urine out of the bladder. When the bladder is not full, your bladder is relaxed.
With a healthy bladder, the brain signals that the bladder is getting full, but there is time to wait to go to the bathroom. With overactive bladder, there is no waiting. People often feel a sudden urge to urinate. This also can happen if the bladder is not full.
When is it important to talk to a health care provider?
What can you do to reduce your risk of overactive bladder?
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Is Bladder Pressure The Same Thing As A Spasm
Do you have pressure in your bladder that just wont go away? This type of chronic bladder pain is different from the spasms you may get with a condition such as overactive bladder or a urinary tract infection .
Bladder pressure feels more like constant ache rather than a muscle contraction. Doctors typically attribute bladder pressure to interstitial cystitis . IC is also known as bladder pain syndrome.
Heres more about this syndrome, its causes, and how to get relief from the pressure.
Attain Solves Overactive Bladder
Attain offers the optimum, all-natural solution for OAB by focusing on calming the detrusor muscle to prevent overactive bladder. It is an FDA approved, over the counter, comfortable, at-home device that allows you to gain control of overactive bladder without medications or surgery.
And for a limited time, Attain can be purchased at an exceptionally low price with guaranteed results. We are proud to offer Attain, for as low as $33 a month.Attain can also be acquired at little or no cost through Medicare.The value of everything you receive with Attain is remarkable. Call 262-373-0422 now to order. Our team of female nurses are here to answer any question you might have.
Stop suffering and act now. Find out more about the benefits of Attain from InControl Medical and begin to enjoy your leak-free life.
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Thousands of people in the world suffer from overactive bladder. The bladder becomes overactive when damaged nerves transmit faulty signals that cause the muscles of the organ to tighten, suddenly. Common symptoms of an overactive bladder include a frequent and urgent need to urinate, and urinating at least once during the night. In certain cases, patients also suffer from urinary incontinence which is a condition wherein the individual is unable to control urine.
What Are The Specific Symptoms Of Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder represents a collection of symptoms that can include:
- Urinary urgency: This is a failure to be able to postpone the need to urinate. When you feel you need to urinate, you have a limited amount of time to get to a bathroom.
- Frequency of urination: People who experience this symptom need to urinate very often. Typically its an increase in the number of times you urinate compared to what you previously experienced.
- Urge incontinence: In this case, there can be a leakage of urine when you get the urge to urinate.
- Nocturia: This symptom is characterized by the need to get up and urinate at least two times each night.
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Q: What Can Patients Expect During A Urodynamic Test
Dr. Johnson: It’s a 45-minute office visit. I put a catheter in the vagina, and I fill their bladder with fluid. I fill the bladder at the same rate that their kidneys would naturally fill their bladder. While I’m doing that, they’re connected to a machine that tells me how much their bladder can hold. So as they’re filling, I can see if they leak. I’ll have them cough at specific points to see if they leak. I also can see if they have that sudden urge to urinate because the test produces a graph, so I’ll visually see a spike. It looks like a peak on the graph if their bladder muscle starts spasming.
I also can measure how they empty their bladder. Is their bladder functioning normally? Is it stretching like a balloon to fill, and then does it squeeze with enough force to empty? And when it empties, does it empty well? Because some of these women feel like they don’t empty well, yet they’re going every 10 minutes. In reality, many of the women are emptying well, but their bladder is sending faulty signals that it is full when in reality it is empty.
As for the test itself, it’s not painful. We use a numbing gel before we put the catheter in, and it’s a small catheter. Patients might feel a little awkward, which is normal, because it’s awkward to have someone fill your bladder. I leave the room when they empty their bladder, but it’s still a somewhat awkward, yet incredibly helpful test. That’s why I do it.
Symptoms Of Overactive Bladder
If you think you have this condition, you’ll want to visit your healthcare provider. They may provide treatments to help you manage your symptoms, or you may be referred to a specialist such as a urologist. But there are some great lifestyle changes that may help as well.
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Tips For Oab When You’re Out And About