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.
Common Bladder Problems And When To Seek Help
Bladder problems can disrupt day-to-day life. When people have bladder problems, they may avoid social settings and have a harder time getting tasks done at home or at work. Common bladder problems include urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and urinary retention.
Some signs of a bladder problem may include:
- Inability to hold urine or leaking urine
- Needing to urinate more frequently or urgently
- Pain or burning before, during, or after urinating
- Trouble starting or having a weak stream while urinating
- Trouble emptying the bladder
If you experience any of these symptoms, talk to your health care provider.
Treatment for bladder problems may include behavioral and lifestyle changes, exercises, medications, surgery, or a combination of these treatments and others. For more information on treatment and management of urinary incontinence, visit Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults.
Coping With Incontinence: Lifestyle Changes
But for most women, a little absorbent pad is their first weapon, a lifestyle change their second.
For many women the change may be as simple as drinking less water.
“You can’t drink two big bottles of water at one time, because it comes through your system as one big of fluid,” says Brubaker. “If you have a little at a time, it’s much easier for the bladder.”
“Also, caffeine is a diuretic, so Cokes, coffee, any drink with caffeine make you leak more,” Brubaker explains. “You need to cut back.”
Perhaps you just need to urinate more frequently – especially before getting onto the tennis court, for example.
You may also simply learn to brace yourself when you laugh or cough, tightening your pelvic muscles to prevent leaks.
“Women are smart…” says Brubaker. “They try a bunch of things on their own before they get the gumption to talk to someone about it.”
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What Are The Causes Of Loss Of Bladder Control
Short-term loss of bladder control may come from urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, constipation, and some medications. However, if your loss of bladder control lasts longer than a week, tell your doctor.
Long-term loss of bladder control may be caused by:
- Weak muscles in the bladder
- Overactive bladder muscles
- Damage to nerves in the bladder
- Blockage from an enlarged prostate
When To Seek Medical Advice
See a GP if you have any type of urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is a common problem and you should not feel embarrassed talking to them about your symptoms.
This can also be the first step towards finding a way to effectively manage the problem.
The GP may also suggest you keep a diary in which you note how much fluid you drink and how often you have to urinate.
Find out about diagnosing urinary incontinence.
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How Common Is Urinary Incontinence
Its common for a new mother to accidentally leak urine when they laugh, sneezes, coughs or exercises. This is known as stress incontinence.
You are more likely to develop stress incontinence after birth if you:
- have bladder or bowel problems before pregnancy they are likely to get worse after the birth
- have a long labour, especially a long second stage of labour
- have a difficult delivery, such as needing stitches, tearing, or needing a vacuum cup or forceps during the delivery
Women who have a caesarean can also develop bladder problems. Having a caesarean can reduce the risk of severe incontinence from 10% to 5% for the first baby, but after the third caesarean women are just as likely to develop bladder problems as women who give birth vaginally.
Solutions For A Leaky Bladder
Research has found that at least half of people with urinary incontinence dont discuss the condition with a health care provider. But theres no need to feel embarrassed. If you have a leaky bladder, youre definitely not alone. Bladder leakage, or urinary incontinence, affects women and men of all ages, though it becomes more common later in life.
And its definitely worth discussing, because of the many ways it can interfere with enjoying daily lifefrom exercise and travel to social outings and romance, says E. James Wright, M.D., director of urology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
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Other Types Of Urinary Incontinence
- Overflow incontinence This occurs when a person is unable to empty their bladder completely and it overflows as new urine is produced. Itâs often found in people with diabetes or spinal cord injuries.
- Mixed incontinence You show evidence of more than one type.
- Functional incontinence This type of incontinence has less to do with a bladder disorder and more to do with the logistics of getting to a bathroom in time. Itâs usually found in elderly or disabled people who have normal or near normal bladder control but cannot get to the toilet in time because of mobility limitations or confusion.
- Nocturia The need to urinate twice or more during the night, usually affecting men and women over the age of 60. In men, nocturia can be a symptom of an enlarged prostate.
Medications For Urinary Incontinence
If medications are used, this is usually in combination with other techniques or exercises.
The following medications are prescribed to treat urinary incontinence:
- Anticholinergics calm overactive bladders and may help patients with urge incontinence.
- Topical estrogen may reinforce tissue in the urethra and vaginal areas and lessen some of the symptoms.
- Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant.
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What Medications Are Used To Treat 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:
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
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Forms Of Urinary Incontinence That Affect Men Only
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects about 50 percent of men over the age of 60, and 90 percent over the age of 85 an enlarged prostate can cause sudden and frequent urges to urinate.
- Peyronies disease is the result of injury or damage to penile tissue, causing an abnormal curvature.
- Painful inflammation of the prostate gland
How Do I Do Kegel Exercises
To do Kegels:
If you are uncomfortable or uncertain about doing Kegel exercises on your own, a doctor or nurse can also teach you how to do Kegels. A pelvic floor physical therapist or other specialist may also be available in your area to help teach you how to strengthen these muscles.
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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.
Just How Much Time Does Lower Pain In The Back Normally Last Pressure In Bladder And Lower Back Pain
Lower neck and back pain can be identified as intense, subacute or persistent. Acute episodes of lower pain in the back usually last from a couple of days to 4 weeks as well as subacute lower pain in the back lasts in between 4 to 12 weeks.
According to the National Institutes of Wellness As well as Wellness, concerning 20 percent of people with severe back discomfort take location to create consistent back pain specified as discomfort that lasts 12 weeks or longer. Also in these situations, there are a number of treatment choices to help relieve lower pain in the back symptoms and signs.
When your back is genuinely killing you, you could worry something is seriously incorrect. The precise same chooses back pain that appears unrelenting. Luckily is that while neck and back pain is a substantial hassle, it is rarely an urgent clinical problem.
Really, a lot of the time you do not require to treat it. Back pain generally clears up by itself unless you have a significant underlying problem. Lower Back Pain And Also Discomfort Down Front Of Thigh
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What Is Urinary Incontinence Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention
Urinary incontinence , the involuntary loss of urine, is a very common condition that no one wants to talk about. Because of the stigma that surrounds it, many people are too humiliated to seek help. But most conditions that cause UI can be corrected with medical or alternative interventions.
Occurring much more often in women than men, UI happens when the muscles in the bladder that control the flow of urine contract or relax involuntarily, resulting in leaks or uncontrolled urination. UI itself is not a disease, but it can be a symptom of an underlying medical issue.
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How Are Bladder Control Problems Diagnosed
Your health-care provider will ask questions about your symptoms and the situations in which you experience urine leakage. He or she will also ask you about your medical and surgical history, medications, and habits. A thorough physical exam will include your abdomen, pelvis , rectum , and nervous system.
You may be referred to a specialist. Physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating disorders of the urinary tract include urogynecologists and urologists.
A physical exam should be performed. In women, a thorough vaginal and pelvic exam along with a rectal exam should be performed. The quality of the tissue, the degree of prolapse , and evaluation of masses or tissue support is documented.
In men, an exam of the genitalia with attention to the urethral meatus and a rectal exam are performed. The character and size of the prostate are evaluated.
Which tests are performed depends on which type of incontinence your health-care provider suspects. A urine sample will be collected.
- The amount and appearance of the urine will be recorded.
- The chemistry of the urine will be analyzed .
- The urine will be looked at under a microscope to check for infection and other abnormalities.
- The urine will be cultured. A smear of urine is put in a small sterile dish and allowed to sit for a few days. If any bacteria grow on the dish, you probably have a urinary tract infection.
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What Are Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises, also called Kegels or pelvic floor muscle training, are exercises for your pelvic floor muscles to help prevent or reduce stress urinary incontinence. Your pelvic floor muscles support your uterus, bladder, small intestine, and rectum.
Four in 10 women improved their symptoms after trying Kegels.9 Kegels can be done daily and may be especially helpful during pregnancy. They can help prevent the weakening of pelvic floor muscles, which often happens during pregnancy and childbirth. Your pelvic floor muscles may also weaken with age and less physical activity.
Some women have urinary symptoms because the pelvic floor muscles are always tightened. In this situation, Kegel exercises will not help your urinary symptoms and may cause more problems. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your urinary symptoms before doing Kegel exercises.
What You Need To Know
- Issues with urinating or passing stools are referred to as bladder and bowel dysfunction.
- Bladder and bowel problems often originate with nerve or muscle dysfunction, as these systems control the flow of urine and the release of stool.
- Other health issues may cause bladder and/or bowel dysfunction, including medicinal side effects, stress, neurologic diseases, diabetes, hemorrhoids and pelvic floor disorders.
- Therapy and management for these conditions can range from dietary changes and exercise to electrical stimulation and surgery depending on individual diagnosis.
Bladder or bowel incontinence means a problem holding in urine or stool. You may have unwanted passage of urine or stool that you cant control. These conditions can be stressful to deal with. But dont feel embarrassed about talking to your healthcare provider. They are used to dealing with these issues, and can help you manage the problem.
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Treatment For Symptomatic Bladder Prolapse
If you have symptoms of bladder prolapse it is recommended that, as for people with no symptoms, you make the same lifestyle changes, do pelvic floor muscle training and treat any chronic cough. Make them part of your routine.
However, sometimes prolapse can be more severe and these measures may not be enough on their own to relieve symptoms.
For these cases, there can be two different approaches:
1. Non-surgical approach vaginal pessaries
Some women may prefer this option if they wish to avoid or delay surgery, and it may be the safest option for women who are unfit for surgery.You will need regular check-ups with your healthcare professional if you are using a vaginal pessary long-term.
2.Surgical approach
- resting each day.
What Bladder Problems Can An Sci Cause
An SCI can cause two types of bladder problems. One set of problems occurs immediately after injury, and the other may begin later on after your injury when you are out of spinal shock
Immediately after SCI:
- You might experience spinal shock, when signals from the brain cant get to any or most parts of the body below the spinal cord injury.
- Spinal shock in general usually lasts for up to a few days, but for the bladder it can last several months or longer.
- Your bladder does not squeeze when you are in the period of spinal shock.
After your bladder is out of spinal shock:
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What To Do About Urinary Incontinence
In this section, Ill review what you and your healthcare provider can do to prevent, diagnose, and treat incontinence.
Urinary incontinence, like most syndromes affecting older adults, is rarely simple. Dr. Wagg shared that The maintenance of continence in later life isnt just about staying dry. Its about successful toileting, and that requires quite a lot of adequate functioning of many different systems. Some of the management options depend on the type of incontinence, but there are some approaches that are likely to help in any case.
What The Caregiver Can Do
- Encourage or help the patient with appropriate skin care after using the bathroom. Use warm water and pat the area dry.
- Help the patient keep a diary that records specific foods or drinks that may affect how frequently the patient goes to the bathroom.
- Help the patient maintain a bladder or bowel plan.
- Encourage the patient to go to the bathroom at consistent time frames during the day, like after a meal.
- Encourage regular daily exercise, as permitted by the health care team.
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