Thursday, March 28, 2024

Overactive Bladder In Teenage Girl

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What Medications Are Used To Treat Overactive Bladder

New treatment to help patients with overactive bladder

As youre retraining your bladder, a healthcare provider may prescribe medication. Medications can help restore normal bladder function. Commonly prescribed medications for overactive bladder include:

Anticholinergic medications

Beta-3 adrenergic medication

Beta-3 adrenergic medications cause the detrusor muscles in your bladder to relax so your bladder can store more pee. A healthcare provider may prescribe:

Frequent Urination In Teens

Teens may not give much thought to potential health problems. However, there are some signs or symptoms that can indicate either a minor health issue or a much more serious health problem. One of these symptoms is frequent urination, which can indicate endometriosis in teen girls and bladder infections, diabetes or bladder cancer in either boys or girls.

How To Get Help For Female Urinary Incontinence

Still feeling unsure about your first step? Remember, incontinence doesnt have to stop you from enjoying daily life on your terms. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment can be a life changer.

If you think that you might have urinary incontinence, reach out to one of our primary care doctors. Well answer any questions you may have and guide you to treatment that will work for you. If specialty care is needed, well refer you to our team of compassionate urogynecology specialists.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Urinary Incontinence

The main symptom of urinary incontinence is the leakage of urine. There may also be increased urgency to wee, leading to increased frequency of weeing. Urinary tract infections may also develop more often and be hard to shift. Children may be reluctant to drink fluids in case they have an accident this can lead to dehydration and often makes any constipation worse as well.

Overactive Bladder At Night

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If you find that you wake up to urinate more than one time per night, you may have a condition called nocturia, or overactive bladder at night. Nocturia isnt the same as overactive bladder. In fact, some people who experience no OAB symptoms during the day can still have nocturia.

Nocturia is more common in people over age 60, but one in three adults over 30 need two or more trips to the bathroom each night. Most adults can sleep six to eight hours without waking up. Others may only need to wake up once.

If you require more bathrooms breaks during your slumber, you may be experiencing overactive bladder at night.

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How Do Age And Gender Affect Oab

OAB is more common in women over age 40 because the muscles controlling urination weaken over time. Factors contributing to weakened muscles include the physical pressure of pregnancy and childbirth.

Some people have a genetic predisposition to OAB. Urinary incontinence sometimes runs in families. Additionally, men who develop OAB should have a prostate exam to determine whether or not the urinary tract is constricted.

If you think you have OAB, its important to see a doctor to rule out other conditions that can be mistaken for OAB. Other conditions that can have symptoms similar to OAB include:

Both of these conditions require treatment.

Does Oab Cause Depression

Getting up more than twice a night is common for people with OAB. That means that people who experience OAB often dont get enough sleep, which in turn can lead to depression.

People with OAB often feel embarrassed by their condition. Feelings of shame and isolating yourself to hide your condition can contribute to feelings of depression and loneliness.

Your doctor can prescribe medicines to help control your bladder muscles. There are also surgeries for OAB in which tissue is connected from one side of the abdomen to the other to support the bladder.

You can manage, improve, and maybe control your OAB with some lifestyle strategies. For example:

  • Strengthen pelvic muscles with exercise.
  • Keep a diary of how often you visit the bathroom. This can help you determine which factors help or hurt your OAB.
  • Reduce daily consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.
  • Put yourself on bathroom schedule. Visit the bathroom hourly, or more often, without fail. This keeps your bladder from being too full.

Recommended Reading: How To Relieve Bladder Infection Pain Fast

What Tests Will Be Done To Diagnose Overactive Bladder

A healthcare provider may order tests to help diagnose overactive bladder. These tests may include:

  • Urinalysis. A urinalysis examines the visual, chemical and microscopic aspects of your pee. A provider will look for red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria. If you have any of them in your pee sample, you may have an infection that causes OAB.
  • Urodynamic testing. Urodynamic tests measure how much pee remains in your bladder after you go to the bathroom, how much you pee, how fast you pee and how much pressure is on your bladder as it fills with pee.
  • Ultrasound. An ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging test that allows a healthcare provider to take a detailed look at your bladder.
  • Computed tomography scan. A CT scan is a noninvasive imaging test that produces 3D images of your bladder.
  • Cystoscopy. A healthcare provider will use a special instrument to look inside your bladder from your urethra. The provider typically uses a numbing gel so you dont feel pain in your urethra. In rare cases, they may use general anesthesia, so you arent awake, wont move and wont feel any pain.

Incontinence In Teenagers And Young Adults

Taming An Overactive Bladder

20,000 – 60,000 Australian teenagers experience some form of incontinence. These figures include teenagers that experience urinary incontinence , faecal incontinence or a combination of these issues.

The Continence Foundations adolescent support website Incontinence in Confidence provides information and advice around building confidence, motivational strategies, talking to friends about incontinence, mental health support, and how to manage incontinence during sports and sleepovers.

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When To See A Doctor For Urinary Incontinence

In most cases, UI can be treated without surgery. If left untreated, UI can lead to sleep loss, depression, anxiety and loss of interest in sex. It might be a good idea to see your doctor if your condition is causing you to:

  • Frequently urinate
  • Feel tired from incontinence-related sleep loss
  • Feel socially anxious about your urinary incontinence
  • No longer participate in activities that bring you joy
  • Miss out on big moments or lose productivity

How Can I Help My Child Live With Enuresis

  • Remember that your child cant control the problem without help. Don’t scold or blame them.

  • Make sure your child is not teased by family or friends.

  • Keep in mind that many children outgrow enuresis.

  • Protect your childs mattress bed with a fitted plastic sheet.

  • Have a change of clothes on hand while out and about.

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How To Fix Young Adult And Teenage Incontinence

Anyone whos seen an adult diaper commercial can tell that incontinence products are marketed to older people. So it might be a surprise to learn that young adult and teenage incontinence is a real problem. And although its true that incontinence is more prevalent in women 65 and older #:~:text=About%201%20in%203%20women,that%20they%20sometimes%20leak%20urine.” rel=”nofollow”> 1 out of 2 women 65+ experience stress urinary incontinence), a surprising number of young adults grapple with bladder leaks.

What Is Urinary Incontinence

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Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. In children under age 3, its normal to not have full bladder control. As children get older, they become more able to control their bladder. When wetting happens in a child who is old enough to control his or her bladder, its known as enuresis. Enuresis can happen during the day or at night. Enuresis can be frustrating. But its important to be patient and remember that its not your childs fault. A child does not have control over enuresis. And there are many ways to treat enuresis and help your child.

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Urine Leakage Can Impact Sports Participation

As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I’ve seen the way that urinary leakage causes people to change their lives in big and small ways. People give up running long distances, stop engaging with their gym community, only wear black leggings, and stay far away from trampolines. We can miss out on life’s fun and playful things if we’re worried about holding our bladders.

My goal as a physical therapist is to get someone who is leaking back into the movement they love with the people they love. Once the leaking has improved, my patients often wish they had known pelvic floor physical therapy could help with incontinence sooner. There’s a sadness that comes with knowing how much time was spent avoiding beloved sports and activities. I feel a similar sadness thinking about how so many adolescents are choosing their extracurriculars around activities that won’t make them pee their pants or the ways they are trying to deal with the issue. Eighteen-year-old Olivia told me, “The leakage didn’t change my sports activities in terms of participation, but I did have to wear a maxi pad all the time and that was embarrassing.”

How Is Urinary Incontinence Treated

There are number of options for treating urinary incontinence, some of which may be used in combination. If constipation is thought to be causing the urinary incontinence, the doctors may suggest reviewing what foods the child is eating and their toileting habits. They may also suggest managing the childs fluid intake for a while to see if this improves the incontinence. Medicines can be prescribed to reduce the sensitivity of the bladder or reduce the amount of urine produced by the body. Some medicines are best only given in short bursts to cover a special occasion as they can have side effects.

There are a number of behavioural interventions to help with urinary incontinence. These include bladder retraining, pelvic floor exercises and biofeedback training.

A fairly new form of treatment for urinary incontinence is tibial nerve stimulation, which involves passing a low electrical charge through a nerve in the ankle, which then relaxes the nerves controlling the muscles around the bladder.

In rare circumstances, surgery might be suggested to improve urinary incontinence. This could include injections into the sphincter to strengthen or relax it. Major surgery, for instance, if a childs bladder capacity is too small, an operation called a bladder augmentation might be suggested.

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How Is Overactive Bladder Treated In Children

In most cases, children outgrow the problem of an overactive bladder. For each year after the age of 5, the number of overactive bladder cases declines by 15%. The child may learn to respond in a more timely manner to the body’s signals to urinate or bladder capacity may increase over time. In addition, overactive bladders can “settle down,” often when stressful events or experiences have ended.

If the child does not outgrow the condition, treatments can include bladder training and medication. In bladder training, the child uses exercises to strengthen and coordinate the urethra and bladder muscles to control urination. Such exercises teach the child to prevent urinating when away from the toilet and to anticipate the urge to urinate. Additional techniques to help overactive bladder include:

  • avoiding caffeine or other ingredients that may encourage overactive bladder
  • using timed voiding, or urinating on a schedule — for example, every two hours
  • adopting healthy urination habits, such as taking enough time to urinate and relaxing muscles during urination

When Should I See A Healthcare Provider

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See a healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms of an overactive bladder.

Age-related OAB may develop gradually and slowly worsen over time. If your symptoms develop suddenly and you have heavy leakage, your OAB may be a symptom of another condition, such as an infection or a neurological issue. Its best to have a provider check these symptoms sooner rather than later.

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Try Pelvic Floor Therapy

Pelvic floor therapy is a type of specialized physical therapy that strengthens the muscles that support your bladder and bowels. This can be very effective in treating urinary incontinence caused by an overactive bladder.

During pelvic floor therapy, a physical therapist may lead you through exercises that target your pelvic floor, use mild electrical stimulation to help you have more awareness of your pelvic floor muscles, and use other specialized techniques. If youre interested in pelvic floor therapy, talk with a doctor about getting a referral.

When Should My Child See A Doctor About Bladder Control Problems

If you or your child are worried about accidental wetting, talk with a health care professional. He or she can check for medical problems and offer treatment, or reassure you that your child is developing normally.

Take your child to a health care professional if there are signs of a medical problem, including

  • symptoms of bladder infection such as
  • pain or burning when urinating
  • cloudy, dark, bloody, or foul-smelling urine
  • urinating more often than usual
  • strong urges to urinate, but passing only a small amount of urine
  • pain in the lower belly area or back
  • crying while urinating
  • your child dribbles urine or has a weak urine stream, which can be signs of a birth defect in the urinary tract
  • your child was dry, but started wetting again
  • Although each child is unique, providers often use a childs age to decide when to look for a bladder control problem. In general,

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    How Is Enuresis Treated

    In many cases, enuresis goes away over time and does not need to be treated. If treatment is needed, many methods can help. These include:

    • Changes in fluid intake. You may be told to give your child less fluids to drink at certain times of day, or in the evening.

    • Keeping caffeine out of your childs diet. Caffeine can be found in cola and many sodas. It is also found in black teas, coffee drinks, and chocolate.

    • Night waking on a schedule. This means waking your child in the night to go urinate.

    • Bladder training. This includes exercises and urinating on a schedule.

    • Using a moisture alarm. This uses a sensor that detects wetness and sounds an alarm. Your child then gets up to use the bathroom.

    • Medications. Medicines can boost ADH levels or calm bladder muscles.

    • Counseling. Working with a counselor can help your child cope with life changes or other stress.

    Work with your childs health care provider to find out the best choices that may help your child.

    Can You Have Overactive Bladder At A Young Age

    Bladder Stock Photos and Pictures

    What is overactive bladder?

    Overactive bladder is characterized by the uncontrollable need to urinate that can lead to involuntary release of urine.

    The amount of urine involuntarily released through OAB varies from a few drops to a full bladder.

    The condition is more common in women and people over age 40, according to the . But the problem can occur at any age. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that more than 10 percent of the women in the study, whose average age was 22, experienced OAB.

    Causes of OAB can include:

    • weak bladder muscles
    • damage to nerves that control urination
    • blockage from an enlarged prostate in men
    • irritation to the bladder wall

    Also Check: Why Do I Feel Pain In My Bladder

    What Is The Main Cause Of Overactive Bladder

    Conditions or injuries that affect your detrusor muscle cause overactive bladder. Your detrusor muscle is a collection of smooth muscle fibers in the wall of your bladder. These conditions may include:

    • Abdominal trauma. Pregnancy and childbirth can stretch and weaken your pelvic muscles. Your pelvic muscles are the muscles and tissues that support the organs in your lower abdomen. Your bladder may sag out of its normal position if your pelvic muscles weaken.
    • Nerve damage. Sometimes your body sends signals to your brain and bladder to pee at the wrong time. Certain diseases and trauma can cause nerve damage, including pelvic or back surgery, herniated discs, radiation therapy, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis or a stroke.
    • Medications, alcohol and caffeine. All of these can dull your nerves, which affect signals to your brain and cause your bladder to overflow. Diuretics and caffeine may cause your bladder to fill rapidly and potentially leak.
    • Infection. An infection, such as a urinary tract infection , can irritate your bladder nerves and cause your bladder to squeeze without warning.
    • Extra weight. Having overweight can put extra pressure on your bladder, which can cause urge incontinence.
    • Estrogen deficiency after menopause. Hormonal changes may cause urge incontinence. Vaginal-only estrogen therapy can help.

    Urinary Incontinence In Teenagers

    Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary passing of urine and is also referred to as bladder weakness or an overactive bladder. This condition is not uncommon, with around 20,000 – 60,000 Australian teenagers experiencing some form of incontinence.

    Urinary incontinence during puberty is unlikely to be caused by a severe medical condition with the kidneys or bladder. It is commonly occurring due to the brain not developing the appropriate control over bladder function.

    If your teenager is experiencing frequent urination, urge control issues or any type of bladder incontinence, Ontex Healthcare has a range of junior continence products that are designed to manage the condition effectively. Each product in the range is comfortable, discreet and breathable, ensuring your teenager will not feel embarrassed whilst continuing with their usual daily routine.

    Our junior range includes the Ontex Healthcare Comfy Junior Slip, the Comfy Junior Pants and the Comfy Junior Pants . All products are dermatologically tested and work to provide optimal absorption. Frequent urination is nothing to be ashamed of and that is why Ontex Healthcare are here to help you and your teenager manage the symptoms and feel at ease.

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