How Is Overactive Bladder Diagnosed
A healthcare provider can diagnose overactive bladder by reviewing your symptoms and conducting a physical examination of the organs around your pelvis and rectum. They may ask you questions such as:
- What are your symptoms?
- How long have you had these symptoms?
- Do you have a family history of overactive bladder?
- What over-the-counter and prescription drugs do you take?
- What kinds of fluids do you drink during the day?
- What time of day do you drink certain fluids?
- What do you eat during the day?
They may also refer you to a urologist. A urologist is a doctor who specializes in diseases and conditions that affect your urinary tract and reproductive system.
Consult Your Doctor About Herbs Botanical Medicines
While there are also some herbs and botanical medicines and combination of herbs from traditional Chinese medicine that have been used traditionally or have been explored to help reduce OAB symptoms, research is limited and variable in quality and conclusions. Before starting an herbal remedy, especially if planning to take longer term, its best to speak to your urologist, primary care provider, or an integrative medicine physician.
Seek Help From A Qualified Physical Therapist
Talk to your doctor, who may refer you to a qualified physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor therapy if you have any incontinence or pain that doesnt go away after giving birth. Embarking on proper rehabilitation soon after having your baby may help you avoid more serious gynecological problems later on.
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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.
Who Is At Risk For Urinary Incontinence
In adults, you are at higher risk of developing UI if you:
- Are female, especially after going through pregnancy, childbirth, and/or menopause
- Are older. As you age, your urinary tract muscles weaken, making it harder to hold in urine.
- Are a man with prostate problems
- Have certain health problems, such as diabetes, obesity, or long-lasting constipation
- Have a birth defect that affects the structure of your urinary tract
In children, bedwetting is more common in younger children, boys, and those whose parents wet the bed when they were children.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Bladder Cancer
- Blood in the urine is the and often the first sign noticed. Depending on the amount of blood present, urine can appear red, pink, or brownish in color. There may be no associated pain, and long periods of time between episodes of hematuria .
- Changes in urinary habits and symptoms of urinary irritation, which may include increased frequency and urgency of urination, pain or a burning sensation during urination, and/or difficulty passing urine.
- If bladder cancer has grown in size or spread to other areas of the body, the symptoms experienced will depend on how far and to where the cancer has spread. They may include, for example, lower back pain on one side of the body, appetite and/or weight loss, general weakness, or bone pain.
As hematuria and urinary symptoms are common to several bladder disorders, including bladder cancer, it is important to see your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms so that the cause can be determined.
How Many Times Should You Pee A Day How Many Times Should I Pee At Night Is Cranberry Juice Good For Overactive Bladder What Foods To Avoid If You Have An Overactive Bladder What Drinks Make You Pee The Most
How many times you should pee or urinate everyday varies from one person to the other. A range of 2-8 times per day and 0-1 times per night is considered normal. More than 8 trips to the bathroom in a day is considered urinary frequency. If associated with a compelling sense of urgency or âgot to goâ feeling it may be overactive bladder .
A study from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York, and colleagues reported in the Journal of Urology found using dried cranberry showed a reduction of the number of bathroom trips in patients who received the dried cranberry compared to those who received placebo . Cranberry is a good option that may reduce your overactive symptoms. There are also foods to avoid and drinks you should avoid for overactive bladder that may make you pee more.
Foods to Avoid for Overactive Bladder :
- Foods containing artificial flavorings and preservatives
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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 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:
Common Herbal Remedies For An Overactive Bladder
Common herbal treatments for overactive bladder include:
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What Is Good For A Weak Bladder
If you have a weak bladder, there are various things you can do to try to reduce your bladder leaks. For example, ditching certain foods and drinks can reduce irritation to the bladder. Alternatively, there are exercises that can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, leading to less leaks. Lets break it down and take a look at what you can do in your daily life to manage your bladder leaks.
Drugs For Overactive Bladder
In people with overactive bladder, muscles in the bladder wall contract at the wrong time. A group of drugs called anticholinergics combat this problem by blocking the nerve signals related to bladder muscle contractions. Research suggests that these drugs also might increase bladder capacity and decrease the urge to go.
Anticholinergic drugs include:
Oxytrol for women is the only drug available over the counter. Overall, these drugs work about the same in treating overactive bladder, and generally people tolerate all of them well. The main side effect is dry mouth, but anticholinergics also can cause constipation, blurred vision, and increased heartbeat.
Anticholinergics arent right for everyone. Some people with glaucoma, urinary retention, or gastrointestinal disease should avoid using anticholinergic drugs.
The drugs mirabegron and vibegron called beta-3 adrenergic agonists. These medications work by activating a protein receptor in bladder muscles that relaxes them and helps the bladder fill and store urine.
Another type of drug for overactive bladder is the tricyclic antidepressantimipramine hydrochloride , which also relaxes bladder muscles.
Doctors also treat men with drugs that relax a muscle at the bladder neck and prostate to help with emptying. They include:
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Botox For An Overactive Bladder
Although not commonly used, Botox is a handy muscle relaxer for a variety of conditions, including an overactive bladder. The compound is injected right into the bladder, and patients can experience fewer uncomfortable contractions and increased bladder capacity for up to a year after the injection has taken place.
However, Botox isnt without its dangers. Some patients find that after the procedure they retain urine too much, and experience pain and complications . For these reasons, Botox for overactive bladder treatment is only considered for certain people.
Avoid Eating Spicy Foods
If youre diagnosed with an issue with an Overactive Bladder, ensure that you avoid spicy foods. There is a myriad of ingredients in food such as chili peppers, spicy chili as well as others. They can make food taste spicy. These foods can cause irritation and further damage to the bladders lining. If you can reduce your intake of these food items, it will increase the condition of your urinary bladder.
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What Is A Weak Bladder
A weak bladder happens when the pelvic floor muscles, or the urethra sphincter, have been damaged or weakened. When the pelvic floor muscles are weak and someone is experiencing bladder leaks, this is known as stress incontinence . For information on specific definitions relating to stress incontinence, check out our incontinence glossary.
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.
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Other Treatments To Try
In rare cases when all OAB treatment fails and overactive bladder is severe, doctors may recommend one of several types of surgery.
A procedure called bladder augmentation uses part of the bowel to increase bladder capacity. Or, urinary diversion, an alternate route for bladder drainage for severe, complicated OAB patients.
Sacral nerve stimulation. Another procedure implants a small device, similar to a pacemaker, under the skin. The device is connected to a wire, which sends small electrical pulses to nerves around the pelvic floor that control the bladder and muscles surrounding it. This helps build bladder control. Itâs often called a bladder pacemaker. The main limitation with this treatment is that it keeps you from having a spinal MRI.
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. The doctor places a needle on nerves near your ankle that affect bladder control. Youâll have one session a week for 12 weeks and then maintenance treatments as needed. This procedure is done in the office.
An overactive bladder doesnât have to get in the way of your daily life. With a little time, patience, and the right treatment, you can regain control — and peace of mind. Whatever treatment for overactive bladder you and your doctor decide upon, it’s important that you stick with it. If you do, chances are your condition will improve in time.
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How Soon After Starting Kegel Exercises Will Urinary Incontinence Get Better
It may take 4 to 6 weeks before you notice any improvement in your symptoms.10
Kegel exercises work differently for each person. Your symptoms may go away totally, you may notice an improvement in your symptoms but still have some leakage, or you may not see any improvement at all. But even if your symptoms dont get better, Kegel exercises can help prevent your incontinence from getting worse.
You may need to continue doing Kegel exercises for the rest of your life. Even if your symptoms improve, urinary incontinence can come back if you stop doing the exercises.
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Weight Loss & Health Improvements To Reduce Your Symptoms
Studies suggest that losing excess weight can reduce the symptoms of stress incontinence and an overactive bladder.
What does this mean exactly? If you can lose about 8 percent of your body weight thats typically around 15 to 20 pounds you will likely see remarkable results. In fact, even just a few pounds of weight loss can reduce incontinence episodes by over 25%.
Aside from all the other health benefits, by losing weight the abdomen will alleviate pressure on all the organs in the area, including the bladder.
As well as weight loss, getting regular exercise can reduce overactive bowel symptoms. Exercise can help to reduce the strain on your bladder which ultimately means less urine leaks.
Stopping smoking can also help with OAB problems since the smoke from cigarettes can irritate your bladder. Smoking can also lead to hacking cough a loud, dry cough which can cause further leaks.
More Fluids Are Consumed
Drinking plenty of fluid is essential if you wish to maintain your bladder in good condition. The most popular kind of that fluid can be found is called water. There is no alternative to water. It has also been proven medically that drinking water has a lot of health advantages. Drink at least ten glasses, or approximately three liters, of water throughout the day to alleviate the problem of a weak bladder naturally. But, if youre already suffering from other health conditions, like heart or kidney issues, seek advice from a doctor prior to increasing your water intake
Tip: Do not drink water or any other fluids prior to the time you go to bed. Drink plenty during the entire day in order to ensure you stay well-hydrated. Make sure you have a gap of a minimum of four hours before you go to bed.
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Smoking May Increase The Urge To Urinate
Smoking irritates the lining of the bladder, and also makes you cough, both of which are unhelpful if you have an overactive bladder.
It is a good decision for both general health reasons and overactive bladder reasons to stop smoking. Work with your health care provider to start a formal “Quit Smoking” program, which may involve smoking cessation medications and group support for the most successful outcome.
Learn more: Our Quit Smoking center also has some helpful advice.
What Is An Overactive Bladder Symptoms To Look For
Overactive bladder is a syndrome, or a set of symptoms, that is believed to be due to sudden contractions of the muscles in the wall of the bladder. When you have overactive bladder syndrome, the muscles controlling bladder function start acting involuntarily. This often leads to urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control. The urine leakage experienced by someone with OAB can be as little as several drops to up to several ounces. Sometimes, incontinence can be a sign of something simple like drinking way too many caffeinated beverages on a daily basis. Other times the underlying cause can be something more serious.
An overactive bladder is said to account for 40 to 70 percent of incontinence. What is incontinence? Incontinence is a lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation. When you have overactive bladder, you can experience urinary incontinence or loss of control over urination.
There are actually two different types of overactive bladder. Dry is when you have a sudden, urgent need to urinate many times during the day. Wet means you have the sudden, urgent need to urinate and you experience bladder leakage, which is also referred to as urge incontinence. Both dry and wet can occur without any underlying health condition. An estimated 60 percent of OAB patients have dry OAB while 40 percent have wet OAB .
OAB symptoms can differ on an individual case basis. Common symptoms of an overactive bladder include:
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