How Is An Overactive Bladder Diagnosed

Prevalence Of Overactive Bladder Its Under

Overactive Bladder, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

Wellman W Cheung1, William Blank1, Dorota Borawski1, William Tran1, Martin H Bluth2

1. SUNY Downstate Medical School, Department of Urology, Brooklyn, NY, USA2. Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology , Detroit, MI, USA

Corresponding author: Wellman W Cheung, MD, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Departments of Urology and Obstetrics/Gynecology, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230. Email: wellman.cheungedu

Citation:Int J Med Sci

Holly Robinson Peete Teams Up With Urovant Sciences To Help Raise Awareness For Overactive Bladder Treatment

Urovant Sciences announces its partnership with actress and overactive bladder patient Holly Robinson Peete as part of its Time To Go campaign an educational program to raise awareness of OAB. The Time To Go campaign aims to highlight the impact the condition can have on patients and introduce options for managing symptoms of OAB, which may make those living with OAB feel more comfortable seeking help from their healthcare provider.

Were excited to work with Holly Robinson Peete to raise awareness about OAB and help reduce the stigma around the condition, says James Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Urovant Sciences. We believe this collaboration will bring more attention to recognizing its symptoms and the treatment options that may help.

OAB causes sudden urination urges that are difficult to control and can result in leakage and frequent urination usually eight or more times a day. With millions of Americans experiencing bothersome bladder symptoms, the prevalence increases with age. OAB can negatively impact daily activities such as changing travel plans, exercising less or not, and complicating daily activities. Peete has first-hand experience with OAB, being diagnosed last year, and since then, shes dedicated her time and resources to combatting symptoms for herself and others.

Visit TimeToGo.com to learn about OAB and GEMTESA®

Evaluation Of Patients With The Oab Syndrome

There are usually no clinical signs on examination, so a careful history is essential. Table Table11 presents the questions a clinician should ask a patient presumed to have OAB. The primary care physician should take a focused history and perform a primary evaluation for urinary tract disorders, such as recurrent urinary tract infections, urinary bladder calculi, and bladder tumors. Such an evaluation is necessary to rule out general conditions and risk factors that cause incontinence such as diabetes mellitus, stroke, lumbar disc disease or spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, pelvic surgery, multiple vaginal deliveries and obstetric history, immobility, dementia, and psychiatric disease.

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What Are The Symptoms Associated With Overactive Bladder

Symptoms of overactive bladder include:

A frequent and sudden urge to urinate
Involuntary loss of urine
Increased urinary frequency during the daytime
Increased urinary frequency at night

Although many patients may ignore symptoms associated with overactive bladder because they believe they are a normal part of aging, the condition typically has an underlying medical cause.

Overactive Bladder In Men: Causes Diagnosis And Treatment

What is an overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder is a relatively common condition. Typical symptoms include frequent urination, frequent nighttime urination, persistent urge to urinate, and urine leakage or incontinence.

An estimated 33 million Americans have OAB, reports the Urology Care Foundation, and as many as 30 percent of men experience symptoms. Its possible that even more men have the condition, but never seek help. If you suspect you have OAB, talk to your doctor. There are a variety of treatments options that may help.

How Do I Control Urges When Resetting My Bladder

Controlling your urges is a key step in resetting your bladder. The following strategies may help:

Stop what youre doing and stay put. Stand quietly or sit down, if possible. Remain as still as possible. When youre still, its easier to control your urges.
Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles quickly several times . Dont fully relax in between Kegels.
Relax the rest of your body. Take several deep breaths to help you let go of any tension.
Concentrate on suppressing your urge to pee.
Wait until the urge goes away.
Walk to the bathroom at a normal pace. Dont rush. Continue squeezing your pelvic floor muscles quickly while you walk.

Patience is important. Retraining your bladder usually takes at least six to eight weeks to see results. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have any questions or arent happy with your progress. They may prescribe medications for you to take while youre resetting your bladder to help you achieve the best outcome.

Overactive Bladder Testing And Treatment

Overactive Bladder TestingTo diagnose OAB and rule out other conditions, your doctor will do a physical exam and discuss your medical history. In addition, a urologist may order the following tests:

Urinalysis: a sample of your urine to check for infection, blood or other abnormalities
Urodynamic Testing: a series of tests to measure how well your bladder and urethra function

Overactive Bladder Treatment

There are many treatment options for overactive bladder. Most people who are treated see an improvement in their symptoms.

Lifestyle Changes: Adjusting activities that make your OAB symptoms worse such as eating or drinking caffeine or acidic foods is the first step in treating OAB.
Bladder Retraining: Through retraining, you learn to resist the urge to go and increase control over how much urine your bladder can hold. Your doctor can set up a retraining schedule for you.
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: Working with a physical therapist or health care provider who specializes in the pelvic floor muscles can help you learn to strengthen and control the muscles involved in urination. One type of exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor is called a Kegel.
Medications: These relieve the frequent urges by blocking the nerve that signals your bladder to contract too soon.

How Is Overactive Bladder Treated

Alleviating overactive bladder typically involves a combination of treatments designed to address not only the symptoms but the underlying cause of the condition. Medication can target specific symptoms, while behavioral interventions such as double voiding and bladder training may useful for controlling the problem long term.

References

Riley, J. . Urinary incontinence. Conditions & Procedures, 1-3.

More Control Starts With Our Smart Programmer

What is Overactive Bladder Syndrome?

The smart programmer allows you and your healthcare provider to manage your therapy as needed. Unlike previous iterations of our technology that resembled a key fob without a display screen, our Smart Programmer allows you:

Visibility to check your stimulation level on a clear, easy-to-read screen
Adjust your stimulation with confidence that its been changed to the setting you intended
Turn stimulation on or off
Change therapy programs
Activate MRI mode and check MRI eligibility

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Eat And Drink With Your Bladder In Mind:

Adopting a bladder-friendly diet will go a long way in easing the symptoms of an overactive bladder. This means avoiding foods that make your urine acidic because acid will further irritate your bladder. Do your best to saying no to caffeine, alcohol, citrus, carbonated beverages and spicy foods.

If you wake up a lot needing to go to the restroom, then make sure you are getting plenty of fluids during the day and limit drinking fluids closer towards before bedtime. This may help reduce the need to urinate frequently at night.

Keeping A Bladder Diary

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms as part of the diagnostic process. A bladder diary can provide useful information. This is something you can bring to your appointment. It will give your doctor details on your condition. To create a bladder diary, record the following information over the course of several days:

Record everything you drink, how much, and when.

Your doctor will perform a physical exam after discussing your symptoms. The exam might include one or more of the following tests:

What Are The Tests For Overactive Bladder

There are a number of tests for overactive bladder, depending on your health history and symptoms. For these tests, youâll likely see a urologist . If youâre a woman, you can also visit a urogynecologist.

Tests for overactive bladder include:

Urinalysis. Taking a urine sample allows your doctor to check for conditions that can cause overactive bladder. A urinalysis looks for the presence of these substances in the urine:

Bacteria or white blood cells, which could indicate a urinary tract infection or inflammation
Blood or protein, which could be a sign of a kidney problem
Glucose, which could signal diabetes

Postvoid residual volume. This test checks to see whether the bladder empties fully by passing a flexible tube called a catheter through your urethra and into your bladder after youâve urinated. The catheter drains the urine that remains in your bladder and measures it. Another way to test postvoid residual urine is with a bladder scanner that uses ultrasound, a test that uses sound waves to look at how much urine is left in your bladder after you go. The bladder scanner is a painless procedure. Ultrasound gel is placed on your lower abdomen and the machine calculates the volume of urine left in your bladder.

Bladder stress test. To see whether youâre leaking urine, your doctor might do a bladder stress test, which consists of filling your bladder with fluid and then asking you to cough.

Urodynamic tests include:

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Sexual Differences In Incidence

What Are The Symptoms Of Neurogenic Bladder?

In the NOBLE study, the prevalence of OAB was similar in women and men . However, the prevalence of incontinence associated with OAB differed. Among women, 9.3% reported having OAB with incontinence 7.6% reported having OAB without incontinence. In contrast, more men reported having OAB without incontinence than with incontinence . In women, the prevalence of OAB with urgency urinary incontinence increased with increasing body mass index , whereas in men, no difference was found.

Milsom et al, in a population-based survey of 16,776 men and women aged 40 years or older from the general population in Europe, found the overall prevalence of OAB symptoms to be 16.6%. The main outcome measures included the prevalence of urinary frequency , urinary urgency, and urgency incontinence.

Frequency was the most common symptom , followed by urgency and urgency incontinence . The prevalence of OAB increased with age, and rates in men and women were similar. Symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency were similar between both sexes, but urgency incontinence was more prevalent in women than in men.

OAB in men is often related to obstruction therefore, it may be important to differentiate between obstruction and irritative symptoms before the initiation of treatment.

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Overactive Bladder Is A Significant Problem Among Men With Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer With Additional Problems Reported Regarding Baseline Sexual Dysfunction Anxiety And Depression

Among men with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer, the prevalence of overactive bladder is greater than 50% and baseline sexual dysfunction, anxiety, and depression are also common, a recent study suggests.1

Take Note

Prostate cancer survivorship research focuses largely on oncological outcome however, fewer studies are available that assess the effects of prostate cancer and its treatment on bladder function.
Overactive bladder symptoms, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression are prevalent among men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer.
Adequate treatment of these issues may improve quality of life for men following prostate cancer therapy.

It is important to manage quality of life issues for men with prostate cancer during their prolonged cancer survivorship, explained Henry Han-I Yao, MBBS, BMedSc, of Vesia and University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia and colleagues in Translational Andrology and Urology. This begins with a better understanding of the baseline demographics.

The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms , overactive bladder, sexual dysfunction, depression, and anxiety among Canadian men with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer prior to the initiation of treatment.

Patients and questionnaires

Overactive bladder and LUTS are common

How Overactive Bladder Is Diagnosed

How Overactive Bladder Is Treated

Although as many as one in six women and one in four men in the United States may have overactive bladder , it can be a difficult condition to diagnose. As a disorder characterized by the sudden and frequent urge to urinate, OAB is diagnosed mainly by its signs and symptoms but only after other likely causes have been excluded.

Because the symptoms of OAB mimic those of other urological conditions, patience may be needed while multiple tests and procedures are performed. Even so, bladder conditions are frequently misdiagnosed due to their nonspecificity, and it can take time before the right treatment is found.

OAB is not a disease. It is a complex group of symptoms that, while distressing and uncomfortable, is generally not life-threatening.

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Overactive Bladder Services Offered In Bellingham And Mount Vernon Wa

As many as 1 in 11 Americans have an overactive bladder that causes a frequent need to urinate. Bellingham Urology Group in Bellingham and Mount Vernon, Washington, provides complete care for overactive bladders. In addition to conservative options, the board-certified urologists use cutting-edge treatments such as Botox® bladder injections and sacral nerve stimulation to ease symptoms. Call Bellingham Urology Group or book an appointment online today to discover how you could benefit from the latest overactive bladder treatments.

Lab Tests And Other Screening

OverActive Bladder Syndrome

To help rule out other conditions other than overactive bladder, and to help evaluate your bladder function, your doctor may recommend the following tests:

Urinalysis This involves taking a urine sample and culturing it, then looking at it under a microscope to check for bacteria or blood.

It can point to a possible urinary tract infection , kidney problems, or diabetes.

Bladder Scan This is a type of ultrasound scan that can show how much urine is left in your bladder after you urinate.

Cystoscopy This test involves inserting a narrow tube containing a tiny camera into your bladder to look for potential problems.

Bladder Function Tests Also known as urodynamic tests, these are designed to evaluate how well your bladder stores and releases urine.

Specifically, these tests may measure:

How much urine is left in your bladder after you urinate
Your urine flow rate
Your bladder pressure under test conditions

While the remaining urine in your bladder can be estimated using an ultrasound scan, it can be measured more accurately by passing a thin tube into your urethra to drain it.

Your urine flow rate the speed and volume of your urination is measured using a device called a uroflowmeter, into which you urinate. The data can then be used to create a graph of how your flow rate changes.

In this procedure, your doctor uses a catheter to slowly fill your bladder with warm water while using a pressure sensor inserted into your rectum or to measure your bladder pressure.

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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 its best to avoid them, and many people can. So start by doing the things that are most natural!

Impact On Quality Of Life

OAB significantly impairs QoL, increases depression scores, and reduces quality of sleep. OAB that involves urgency incontinence is associated with the most severe impairment. Persons with OAB who have poor sleep quality report chronic fatigue and difficulty performing daily activities. An increased number of hip fractures due to falls in elderly persons have been attributed to OAB because of the nocturia component. Many such falls involve the individual tripping or losing balance while getting out of bed.

Individuals with OAB develop coping strategies to manage or hide their problems . These coping strategies, along with the OAB symptoms themselves, commonly affect interactions with friends, colleagues, and families and thereby have an adverse impact on QoL.

Notable psychological effects of OAB and urinary incontinence include fear, shame, and guilt. In elderly people with OAB and incontinence, the need for assistance with toileting, shopping for protective undergarments, and laundry may place an additional burden on family members.

Worries and concerns regarding odor, uncleanliness, and leakage during sexual activity may lead individuals to refrain from intimacy. Frequent urination and the need to interrupt activities may affect the persons work and ability to travel. Studies of the impact of OAB and urinary incontinence demonstrate decreased levels of social and personal activities, increased psychological distress, and an overall decrease in QoL.

References

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Medtronic Bladder Control Therapy Delivered By The Interstimtm Systems

Evidence suggests that breakdowns in the bladder-brain communication pathway may be a root cause of OAB and non-obstructive urinary retention.1,2,3 Thats why conventional treatments may not produce the results you want they dont directly target this miscommunication. Unlike conventional treatments, the Medtronic InterStim systems gently stimulate the sacral nerves in the pelvic area that control the bladder.4,5 This may help restore* bladder-brain communication and reduce symptoms.

What Is Oab And Who Gets It Your Browser Does Not Support Html5 Audio Playback You May Download The Audio File Directly Here

Overactive bladder is the name for a group of bladder symptoms. There are three main symptoms:

A feeling that you have to go to the bathroom, urgently.
Sometimes incontinence, which means that you leak urine with the gotta go feeling.
Usually the need to go to the bathroom often , day and night.

With OAB, you feel that you need to empty your bladder even when its not full. This leads to the feeling that you need a bathroom quickly, right now. You cant control or ignore this feeling. If you gotta go eight or more times each day and night, or fear that urine will leak out before youre ready, you may have OAB.

OAB affects about 33 million Americans. Its not a normal part of aging. Its a health problem that can last for a long time if its not treated. Many older men and women struggle with OAB symptoms. Often people dont know about treatments that can help, or they dont ask for help.

Stress urinary incontinence or SUI is a different bladder problem. People with SUI leak urine while sneezing, laughing or being active. It is not the same as that sudden gotta go feeling from OAB. To learn more about SUI, go to .

In this guide you will find clear information about how to manage OAB. Please ask for help, even if you feel embarrassed. Dont wait, because there are several treatments that work well for OAB. Your health care provider should be trained to talk with you and help you manage your symptoms without embarrassment.

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