Experts Answers For Readers Questions
What is the best medicine for overactive bladder?
Medications often prescribed for overactive bladder include tolterodine and oxybutynin .
When to see a doctor for overactive bladder?
See a doctor immediately if: It affects your sleep quality. You pee more than 8 times daily. You rarely make it to the washroom due to the sudden urge to pee.
Can fluid pills harm an overactive bladder?
Using fluid pills or diuretics can worsen the symptoms of an overactive bladder. Hence, it is better to avoid them.
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Herbal Remedies For An Overactive Bladder
Bladderwrack: This is a form of seaweed rich in iodine. Although commonly used to treat an underactive thyroid, it can also be beneficial for treating an overactive bladder.
Gosha-jinki-gan: Studies have found this Japanese herb to be effective in reducing overactive bladder symptoms, particularly in men with an enlarged prostate. Horsetail: This herb has been found to aid in urinary leaks, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections.
Goldenseal root: This is considered a great treatment for urinary tract infections. You can drink it as a tea or take it orally as a supplement.
Uva ursi : The leaves of this plant have been found to help treat urinary tract infections.
Buchu: Dried leaves of buchu can be steeped in a tea to reduce bladder infections.
Hachi-mi-jio-gan: This Chinese herb has been found to relax bladder muscles to prevent spasms.
Cleavers: The leaves are usually brewed in a tea to help relieve urinary tract infections. Some patients have noted it can soothe an overactive bladder too.Cornsilk: These fine threads are packed with antioxidants and vitamins to help fight bladder infections and have recently been used to treat overactive bladder.
Ganoderma lucidum: This mushroom is common in Chinese medicine, and a Japanese study found it can prevent prostate enlargement to reduce the risk of overactive bladder in men.
Natural Remedies For An Overactive Bladder
- In Blog, Oxford, FL
An overactive bladder is a condition where you are not able to hold urine in your bladder due to involuntary bladder muscle contractions. It causes a frequent, sudden and difficult-to-control urge to pass urine, which may lead to unintentional loss of urine. You may also feel the urge to pass urine 8 or more times in 24 hours.
With an overactive bladder, the first-line treatment is usually behavioral and lifestyle changes. But if the condition remains troublesome even with the changes, further treatment may include medications, bladder injections, nerve stimulation, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation , or surgery.
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Can Overactive Bladder Be Controlled
Overactive bladder therapy can be challenging to manage. However, many people are very satisfied with the treatment they receive and they often see a dramatic improvement in their quality of life. Your doctor will guide you to the best steps to begin with and give you options for any additional treatments you may need over time.
Buchu And Your Bladder
A flowering plant native to the mountainous areas of South Africa, buchu has a long history of traditional use. Legend has it that buchu helps heal everything from fevers to coughs to urinary tract infections.
Buchu tea has no caffeine, so swapping your morning coffee or black tea for buchu will cut your caffeine consumption. That may be helpful in easing OAB symptoms, but dont expect a cure-all. No studies measure buchus effect on OAB.
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What Are Symptoms Of An Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder refers to a group of urinary symptoms that include:
- Urinary urgency with or without urinary incontinence: Strong and sudden need to urinate that may cause bladder discomfort. Urinary incontinence refers to a lack of control over urination. Not all people with urinary urgency have incontinence. Those who have incontinence complain of uncontrolled leakage of urine.
- Urinary frequency: Urinating more often than usual.
- Nocturia: Increased need to urinate at night.
OAB is fairly common, affecting about 40% of women and 30% of men in the United States. Symptoms can be managed with medical treatment, although sometimes surgery may be necessary.
Cleavers And Corn Silk
Cleavers, or sticky willy, is a plant that clings to everything, as its name implies. Cleavers tea is marketed as detoxifying and as providing lymphatic support, but no evidence documents its use to reduce OAB symptoms.
Corn silk, the strands you pluck from corn before eating it, is also used to make a tea. This tea is said to ease urinary tract infection symptoms, but no data backs up that claim. Nor is there scientific proof that corn silk would help OAB.
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Altering The Bladder With Bladder Augmentation Surgery
When all other approaches to strengthen and retrain the bladder have failed, you may need to alter the bladder itself. This surgery is typically used as a last resort and in only the most severe cases of an overactive bladder.
Bladder augmentation involves enlarging the bladder with a section of your large intestine, so theres more physical space to store urine in and less pressure to urinate frequently. The surgery is the most invasive and complicated procedure for solving overactive bladder problems, and includes a long recovery time and possible lasting consequences. Once you have bladder augmentation surgery, you will cease to be able to urinate naturally you will have to use a catheter or stoma.
The good news is that many, if not most cases of an overactive bladder can be very well controlled with healthy lifestyle changes, and natural and traditional medical treatments. Its important to remember that not all of the listed treatment options may work for everyone.
Remember to discuss the above overactive bladder treatment options with your doctor before beginning them.
How Is Overactive Bladder Treated
Treatment options for overactive bladder can vary but the Mayo Clinic says a combination of strategies is often the best approach. Treatment may involve lifestyle adjustments like managing a healthy weight as being overweight may worsen symptoms.
Treatment may also involve pelvic floor exercises and bladder training. In some cases, medication or injections may also be necessary. And finally, if you dont respond to other treatments, surgery may be the last resort.
The Cleveland Clinic also says a bladder diary may help identify triggers and the cause of OAB. In your diary keep note of what you drink, how much you drink, what you eat, and how often you urinate. If you experience any accidents, make note of that too. Also, note how often you feel the urgent need to urinate and if anything caused you to urinate, such as coughing or laughing. Providing this information to your doctor can be very helpful.
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So What Are The Natural Remedies For An Overactive Bladder
Symptoms of an overactive bladder can be relieved by avoiding foods and drinks known to irritate the bladder.
Common culprits include alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, citrus fruits and juices, and chocolate. Other foods and drinks to avoid or reduce are sodas and fizzy drinks, cranberry juice, corn syrup, tomatoes, sugar, honey, vinegar, dairy, and spicy foods.
Since irritation from foods and drinks vary from person to person, you can benefit by keeping a diary of what you take and the associated bladder symptoms. A diary can help you work out which foods are causing you problems.
Quitting smoking can remedy an overactive bladder. Thats because smoking tends to make the symptoms of the condition worse, while the coughing fits associated with smoking tend to increase OAB-associated leakage of urine.
Another change that can improve an overactive bladder is withdrawal of medications contributing to the problem. For instance, diuretics, antihistamines, muscle relaxants, sedatives, narcotics, and alpha-adrenergic antagonists worsen OAB symptoms. So if youre taking any medications you suspect to be behind the problem, speak with your doctor about alternatives.
Also, losing weight can reduce the pressure on your bladder and pelvic floor muscles, and improve your bladder control.
- Delayed urination
What If I Forget To Take It
If you forget to take your medicine, take it as soon as you remember unless the next dose is due in less than 6 hours. In this case skip the missed dose and take your next one at the usual time.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
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Precautions And Proper Diagnosis
The main symptoms of OAB can also occur in other health conditions like bladder cancer, urinary tract infection and enlarged prostate. Seeing blood in your urine is not a symptom of OAB.
A sudden and frequent need to urinate is common in both OAB and a UTI. How can you tell the difference between these two urinary health issues? Unlike OAB, a UTI also comes with other symptoms such as discomfort while urinating. In addition, OAB symptoms are continuous while UTI symptoms are sudden and may also include a fever.
Overflow incontinence is characterized by the involuntary release of urine from an overfull urinary bladder, often in the absence of any urge to urinate. This condition is not associated with OAB. It typically occurs in people who have a blockage of the bladder outlet, which can occur with benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer or a narrowing of the urethra. Overflow incontinence can also occur when the muscle responsible for removing urine from the bladder is too weak to empty the bladder in a normal way.
It is very important to see a doctor to ensure a proper diagnosis if you experience any changes in your urine and/or urination habits.
Common Questions About Mirabegron
Mirabegron is a type of medicine called a beta-3-adrenergic-receptor agonist.
It works by relaxing the muscles around your bladder. This increases the amount of pee that your bladder can hold and reduces your need to pee as frequently or as urgently.
Mirabegron starts to work after about 3 to 4 hours to relax the muscle surrounding your bladder.
However, it can take up to 4 to 8 weeks for you to notice any improvements in your symptoms.
Usually, treatment with mirabegron is long term.
However, if you no longer have bladder problems, your doctor will advise you to stop taking mirabegron.
Mirabegron is generally safe to take long term, as long as you’re not bothered by side effects.
Many people take it for several months or even years without any problems.
It is safe to take mirabegron with everyday painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Do not stop taking mirabegron without talking to your doctor first.
If you stop taking this medicine, it will take about 10 days for it to be completely out of your body.
Your symptoms of overactive bladder may come back or get worse.
Mirabegron is not usually the first choice of treatment for an overactive bladder.
Your doctor will usually try you on a type of medicine called an antimuscarinic first.
Antimuscarinics include:
There’s no clear evidence to suggest that taking mirabegron will reduce fertility in men or women.
Yes, you can usually drive or cycle while taking mirabegron.
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Home Remedies To Treat Overactive Bladder
1. Corn Silk
This is a waste material that is left behind after corn cultivation. Corn silk is also used as a medicine for curing many ailments such as bedwetting and irritation. It can help in treating overactive bladder by eating it in small amount daily. This will strengthen your mucous membranes in the urinary tract and prevent urine from leaking. Corn silk can also prevent overactive bladder if had from beginning.
2. Pumpkin Seeds
These are widely used as a natural remedy for treating digestive problems and inflammation. Pumpkin seeds have anti-inflammatory properties that improve abnormal frequency of urination. It also helps to treat urinary functions that go wrong and reduces overactive bladder issues. Pumpkin seeds can also be had with soybean seed extract to increase its affect and reduce incontinence. Pumpkin seeds also have omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for digestion and health.
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3. Kohki Tea
Kohki tea is found in subtropical regions. Its origin is from a subtropical plant which mostly grows in china and is sweet in its original flavour. This tea has anti-oxidants that are beneficial for bladder health and has protective effects of the bladder. Kohki tea is also beneficial for treating partial bladder obstruction and contractile response. It can he had with little water or soy milk for better effects. Drink it twice for few days to treat overactive bladder problems.
4. Eating to Reduce Constipation
How To Manage An Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder is a chronic condition affecting approximately 50 millionAmerican adults1,2, with a higher incidence in women than men. It is typically characterized by frequent and sudden urges to urinate, even if the bladder is not full. The condition can affect a patients sleep quality and daily functioning.
Though frequent urination or incontinence common symptoms of OAB can occur with the natural changes that come with aging, OAB is not normal for healthy adults. Certain symptoms can even indicate a serious underlying health condition, which is why doctors use a careful diagnostic process to determine whether a patients symptoms are due to OAB or something else, such as a neurological disease or an infection.
First-line treatments for OAB revolve around modifying a patients daily habits to reduce OAB symptoms, the most common of which are:
- Frequent urination Frequent urination is defined as urinating so often that it disrupts your daily life typically 8 or more times in a single day
- Incontinence Partial or full loss of control of the bladder that results in leaks
- Nocturia Also known as nighttime urination, or getting up to urinate more than once per night
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What Causes Overactive Bladder
According to the Urology Care Foundation, there are two main causes of an overactive bladder. The first is a signal problem between your bladder and brain. The source explains that with a healthy bladder, signals in your brain let you know that your bladder is getting full or is full, but you can wait to go to the bathroom. But when the signals dont work properly, an overactive bladder can develop. This can cause signals that tell you to empty the bladder even when its not full.
The second possible cause is overactive muscles in the bladder. The source explains that this means your bladder muscles contract to pass urine before its even full. As a result, this can cause a sudden and urgent need to urinate.
Kegel Exercises And Muscle Training
You can also do special pelvic floor exercises, or Kegel exercises, in addition to regular exercise. Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles to minimize involuntary contractions and improve posture. Its also one of the safest behavioral therapies without side effects and complications.
To do Kegel exercises:
You can also talk to a physical therapist to see if youre squeezing the right muscles.
Yes, Kegel exercises works for men, too »
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Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Common alternative therapies include:
- Kegel exercises. To strengthen pelvic floor muscles, squeeze and hold the muscles, then release. To find the muscles, pretend you are trying not to pass gas or trying to stop the flow of urine without tightening your buttocks or abdominals. Hold the muscles tight for a count of 10, then relax for a count of 10. Work your way up to 20 repetitions, twice daily.
- Biofeedback. Using a machine that shows you when you are exercising the right muscles can help you learn to do the exercises properly.
- Relaxation techniques. May help you go longer without urinating.
- Bladder retraining. Helps your body get used to going to the bathroom on a regular schedule.
Other alternative therapies include:
Always tell your doctor about the herbs and supplements you are using.
Nutrition and Supplements
One study suggested that chondroitin sulfate helped with symptoms of urge incontinence and overactive bladder, as well as the medication Detrol. More studies are needed to know whether it really works. Avoid chondroitin sulfate if you are allergic to shellfish or have asthma. Chondroitin sulfate can increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you take blood thinners, such as warfarin or clopidogrel . Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take chondroitin sulfate. Men with prostate cancer should ask their doctor before taking chondroitin.
HerbsHomeopathyAcupuncture
Overactive Bladder: Causes + 8 Natural Remedies
Have you ever thought about your bladder control or how often you urinate each day? Probably not, unless youve experienced a bladder control problem like overactive bladder. Overactive bladder is a condition in which the bladder cannot hold urine normally. One of the most common symptoms of this health problem is urinary incontinence or leaking urine. Many people suffer in silence, but if you are currently experiencing a bladder-related difficulty you are truly not alone. Its estimated that at least 33 million Americans have overactive bladder. ” rel=”nofollow”> 1)
Sometimes a person experiencing overactive bladder doesnt have any underlying health problem. Other times, an overactive bladder can be the result of medications or other more serious health issues, such as diabetes, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons disease. OAB can also occur after surgery or childbirth. How much is too much when it comes to urination? People with OAB typically have to urinate more than 8 times per day or more than once at night.
Its crucial to address overactive bladder symptoms right away. Early treatment can reduce, or even completely get rid of, the highly unwanted symptoms. With some time and effort, there are several very doable and natural ways you can overcome an overactive bladder.
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