Overactive Bladder And Your Prostate
In most cases, men often have overactive bladder because of the enlargement of their prostate gland. As men get older, the prostate gland tends to get larger. This enlargement could create a blockage to the flow of urine, and result in symptoms of overactive bladder.
A lot of research has shown that about 50% usually notice symptoms of an enlarged prostate when they are about 60 years and older. And this number increases to about 90% when they get to 85 years of age.
While the enlargement of the prostate gland is the leading factor that causes an overactive bladder, there are still a lot of other factors that could lead to these symptoms.
These are some of the other causes of overactive bladder in men
Being obese
If you are overweight, it could lead to extra pressure on your bladder. This, in turn, would result in urge incontinence.
Infection
If you have an infection like a UTI in your bladder, bladder cancer, or bladder stones, these could cause an irritation of the bladder nerves and lead to an impromptu squeezing of the bladder.
Medication, caffeine, and alcohol
The excessive use of any of these products could be detrimental to the nerves that are responsible for sending signals to the brain. This might cause an overflow of the bladder.
Caffeine and diuretics could make your bladder get filled up fast, and in some cases, it could cause leakage.
Nerve damage
What Causes Overactive Bladder In Men
According to latest estimates, about 11 16% men develops OAB with symptoms with advancing age. The most common factor that contributes to OAB in men is prostate enlargement which disrupts the urinary flow. Other causes of OAB in men include:
- Being on certain medications
- Infections of bladder or urinary tract
- Neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons disease.
Emerging Options For Oab
The 3-adrenergic receptor is the most abundant of the AR subtypes in human detrusor muscle, suggesting that this subtype mediates detrusor relaxation. The mechanism by which -AR agonists induce relaxation of smooth muscles is not fully understood, but it is believed that an intracellular pathway for smooth muscle relaxation is activated by cAMP. Some animal studies of 3-adrenoceptor agonist have revealed increased bladder capacity, no change in micturition pressure and no change in residual volume . Selective 3-AR agonists should have a theoretical advantage over non-selective -AR agonists, as the latter may exhibit serious cardiovascular side effects like tachycardia or decrease of blood pressure by stimulating 1- and 2-adrenoceptors .
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Section : Research Needs And Future Directions
Figure 4: OAB Patient Groups
Epidemiology. Studies assessing how OAB develops and its natural history and progression are required. The timing and circumstances around which OAB develops and associated risk factors are not yet well-understood. While not specifically targeting epidemiology of OAB, there are large community-based studies that assess prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence.280, 281 By longitudinally studying these community cohorts, these investigators have developed a new hypothesis that lower urinary tract symptoms are likely related to other systemic diseases/conditions.282, 283 Continuation of these types of studies could lead to potential preventive interventions for OAB symptoms and/or utilization of treatments that target the associated systemic conditions rather than the bladder. Epidemiologic studies provide a better cross sectional estimation of the overall population impact of OAB-type symptoms.284
Clinical studies should use validated standardized measures to report subjective outcomes. Objective outcomes should include frequency, nocturia, urgency, incontinence episode frequency and reporting of the variance for each of these measures. Furthermore, the Guideline Panel’s meta-analytic efforts were hampered by lack of consistent reporting of variance information for baseline and post-treatment measurements.
Signs Symptoms And Treatments
For most men, one trip to the bathroom will empty the bladder and provide relief for several hours. Men with overactive bladder will regularly feel a powerful urge to urinate throughout the day and night. OAB can be life-altering, affect men of all ages, and wreak havoc on your job, social and active lifestyle, and your sleep. Thankfully, there are a variety of approaches available to ease an overactive bladder and get your life back.
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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 »
Symptoms Of Overactive Bladder
There are a number of symptoms that are linked with overactive bladder, and you might be faced with either one or all of them at once.
These are some of the common symptoms of overactive bladder
Urinary urgency
This is a situation where you are not able to reschedule your need to urinate to a later time. When the urge to urinate comes, you are often faced with a limited time to get to the bathroom before the urine comes out.
Frequency of urination
People who have overactive bladder often feel the need to urinate almost every time. This symptom is typically having an increased number of the times you urinate in comparison to what you usually experience.
Urge incontinence
This symptom usually involves leakage of urine. When you have the urge to urinate, there might be some leakage of urine even before you get to a bathroom.
Nocturia
This is a symptom that has to do with getting up to urinate at night to urinate at least two times.
All these symptoms of overactive bladder can impact any aspect of your life. Most people find it embarrassing to talk about these symptoms, which is why they dont usually seek out help from a medical professional to provide them with solutions to their symptoms.
Fortunately, these symptoms can be resolved in more than one promising way.
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Surgical Treatment For Overactive Bladder
Surgery may recommended for severe cases. The two most-commonly used procedures are:
- increases bladder size by removing a section of the bowel and adding it to the bladder. Increased bladder size allows someone to store more urine, reducing the urge to urinate. Possible complications include infection, blood clots, bowel obstruction, urinary fistula, and an increased risk of bladder tumors .
- Sacral Nerve Stimulation is a newer surgical technique that involves placing a small electrical device in the lower back. The device sends electrical impulses to the sacral nerve, which improves control of the muscles in the bladder and pelvic floor.
What Works Best To Help Men With Overactive Bladder
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2020 — Learning how to control the urge to urinate may be all the therapy men need to treat an overactive bladder, a new study suggests.
A combination of drugs and behavioral therapy seems to work better than drugs alone, but behavioral therapy alone also worked better than drugs, the researchers found.
The trial of 204 men with overactive bladder suggests behavioral therapy may be a good way to start treatment, the study authors said.
“The study provides good evidence that for the group of men with overactive bladder, symptoms without obstruction from an enlarged prostate can be successfully managed with behavioral therapy alone,” said Dr. Manish Vira, who was not involved with the study, but reviewed the findings. He’s vice chairman of urologic research at Northwell Health’s Arthur Smith Institute for Urology in Lake Success, N.Y.
Many medications typically prescribed for overactive bladder have significant side effects, especially in older men using multiple medications, Vira added.
For the trial, Kathryn Burgio, associate director of research at the Birmingham VA Medical Center in Alabama, and colleagues randomly assigned men to six weeks of behavioral therapy alone, drug therapy alone, or combined drug and behavioral therapy. After the initial six weeks, all of the men received combination therapy for another six weeks.
Show Sources
JAMA Internal Medicine
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Medications For Overactive Bladder
Medications for overactive bladder target muscles that control bladder function. These drugs can be used alone or in combination, and include:
- Anticholinergics such as trospium , darifenacin and oxybutynin relax bladder muscles. They are the most commonly prescribed medications for overactive bladder and are well tolerated. Side effects include constipation and dry mouth.
- Tricyclic antidepressants, such as imipramine and doxepin, stop contractions in the smooth muscle of the bladder. Side effects include dizziness, fatigue, changes in vision, nausea, insomnia, and dry mouth.
Physiotherapy Treatment Can Include
- Assessment of urinary frequency urgency and continence
- Real-Time Ultrasound pelvic floor muscle training
- Bladder management techniques for urgency and frequency management
- Guidance regarding appropriate fluid intake and voiding strategies to improve bladder capacity
With appropriate management, many men can achieve increased bladder capacity, decreased frequency of voiding and the ability to control their urge sensations effectively.
Give us a if you think a mens health physiotherapy consult may be helpful for you.
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Lifestyle Changes For Men With Overactive Bladder
Typically, treatment of OAB is initially treated with lifestyle changes. Common recommended lifestyle changes may include:
- Adjustments to the diet
- Losing weight if you are overweight
- Using absorbent pads to manage leaks
- Keeping a bladder log to track bathroom habits
- Using the bathroom regularly
Diet changes will likely be recommended, as certain foods can worsen OAB symptoms. Some of these changes include:
- Limiting carbonated beverages, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, and cranberry juice
- Reducing caffeine
- Noting if spicy foods worsen symptoms and eliminating them from the diet if they are a culprit
- Ensuring that you are maintaining proper hydration
Based on the bladder log, your healthcare provider may recommend that you try to do a bladder training program. This will allow you get your bladder on a normal schedule, essentially training your bladder to urinate at regular intervals.
Other Causes Of Oab In Men
An enlarged prostate is the cause of OAB in most men, but there are numerous other factors that can lead to symptoms. An infection in the bladder, bladder stones, or bladder cancer can all cause OAB. Neurological conditions, such as a stroke or Parkinsons disease, can also lead to OAB because of nerve damage that results in sending incorrect signals to the bladder.
Its also possible for temporary factors to cause symptoms of OAB. If you drink a lot of fluids, especially those that are caffeinated or contain alcohol, if you take medications that increase urine output, or if you are constipated, you might experience an increased need to urinate.
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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.
Causes Of Overactive Bladder In Men
About two-thirds of overactive bladder cases in men are due to benign prostatic hyperplasia , also called an enlarged prostate. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that urine passes through from the bladder out of the body.
Although an enlarged prostate does not account for all cases of OAB in men, many who are treated for the symptoms are assumed to have an obstruction in the bladder caused by an enlarged prostate.
Age increases a mans risk of getting OAB. Age also increases a mans risk for BPH, which can lead to OAB.
An infection in the bladder, bladder stones and bladder cancer can cause symptoms that lead to OAB. Neurological conditions, such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons disease, cause nerve damage that results in sending the incorrect signals to the bladder that causes OAB. Temporary factors, such as drinking a lot of caffeinated or alcoholic fluids, taking medications that increase urine output or having constipation, might increase the need to urinate.
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Understanding Overactive Bladder In Men
Many people hear the medical condition overactive bladder and associate it as a womens condition, but overactive bladder in men can happen.
OAB is more common in women. Upwards of 40% of women are affected by OAB symptoms. However, 30% of men are affected by OAB symptoms too, and this means that there are a lot of people, both women and men, suffering. OAB is stigmatized sufferers are afraid to speak to their healthcare providers, so they suffer without asking for help.
Lifestyle Changes To Treat Overactive Bladder
After a diagnosis of overactive bladder, your healthcare provider would recommend that you make some changes to your lifestyle.
These are some of the ways you can improve your lifestyle
Diet
There are some drinks and foods that when you incorporate them into your diet plans, they could worsen your symptoms of overactive bladder. When these drinks and foods are eliminated from your diet, it will make you respond better to the treatment of this condition.
Research has also found out that if you reduce your intake of alcohol and caffeine. These substances are diuretics, which means that they could cause your body to make more urine. This would also increase your need to urinate.
While undergoing treatment for overactive bladder, you should also limit your intake of things like aspartame and artificial sweeteners, carbonated beverages, and cranberry juice.
In addition to cutting down on some drinks and foods, you should also limit your intake of liquids before bed, so that you can resolve your nighttime symptoms.
Also, if you have been diagnosed with overactive bladder, you should limit your intake of acidic and spicy foods like tomato sauce and orange juice as this they could irritate the urethra and bladder, which would worsen your symptoms.
If you reduce your fluid intake, it could lead to dehydration and concentrated urine. Concentrated urine could irritate your bladder, which would worsen symptoms of overactive bladder.
Exercise
Bladder training
Weight loss
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Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Your pelvic floor muscles surround the bladder and urethra and control the flow of urine as you pee.
Weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary incontinence, so exercising these muscles is often recommended.
A GP may refer you to a specialist to start a programme of pelvic floor muscle training.
The specialist will assess whether you’re able to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and by how much.
If you can contract your pelvic floor muscles, you’ll be given an exercise programme based on your assessment.
Your programme should include a minimum of 8 muscle contractions at least 3 times a day and last for at least 3 months. If the exercises are helping after this time, you can keep on doing them.
Research has shown that pelvic floor muscle training can benefit everyone with urinary incontinence.
Find out more about pelvic floor exercises.
Causticum Homeopathic Medicine For An Overactive Bladder With Involuntary Passage Of Urine Or Urinary Incontinence
Causticum is a beneficial homeopathic medicine for an overactive bladder in cases where there is an involuntary flow of urine. This symptom can cause a lot of problems when it occurs at night or if the patient is walking. Causticum also helps in strengthening the bladder sphincter and in controlling urinary incontinence.
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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.
What Is An Overactive Bladder
An overactive bladder refers to a condition where there is a frequent, sudden and unstoppable urge to urinate. This urge to urinate may occur only during the day or during the night or both. The urinary bladder is a sac-like muscular organ. It stores urine produced by the kidneys until it passes out of the body through the urethra. When the urinary bladder fills up completely, there is an exchange of a series of nerve signals between the urinary bladder, the brain, and the pelvic floor. The coordination between these nerve signals makes the detrusor muscle of the bladder contract, the pelvic floor and the external sphincter of the bladder relax, and helps the urine to drain out. In the case of an overactive bladder, the bladder muscles contract involuntarily and make the person feel the need to pass urine even when the bladder is only slightly filled. The problem with an overactive bladder can be treated very effectively with homeopathy. The homeopathic treatment for an overactive bladder helps by curing the cause of the problem. The selection of medicines for an overactive bladder should be made based on a complete symptom picture of the individual case. This treatment is completely safe and works wonderfully to give symptomatic relief to the patient.
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