Understanding Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder is a common medical condition that refers to the inability to control your bladder. This can result in a strong urge to urinate, frequent urination, leaking, and more. To understand this condition, you need to be familiar with how our body expels urine. When the bladder is full, our muscles contract to expel it from the body. An overactive bladder occurs when the muscles contract involuntarily, causing an urgent need to urinate.
If you clicked on this blog, you may be wondering – do I have an overactive bladder? Let’s talk about some telltale signs that you may have an overactive bladder.
Signs of Overactive Bladder
- Constant urination (eight or more times a day)
- Sudden or strong urges to urinate
- Waking up throughout the night to urinate
- Incontinence: leaking urine (having accidents)
If you present some of these symptoms, there is a chance you have an overactive bladder. For a firm diagnosis, it is important to visit your doctor.
Common Causes of Overactive Bladder
There are various factors that can lead to the development of overactive bladder syndrome. Age is the most common cause – as we age, the bladder muscles weaken which can disrupt the ability to hold in our urine. Aside from this, certain conditions can lead to the development of an overactive bladder. Multiple sclerosis, diabetes, menopause, Parkinson’s, and obesity are a few conditions that are often related to bladder incontinence.
4 Tips to Manage Overactive Bladder
- Practice Pelvic Floor Exercises. Practicing pelvic floor exercises can help patients strengthen their pelvic floor muscles and provide urethral support to prevent leakage and manage urgency,
- Limit Consumption of Alcohol and Caffeinated Drinks. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol are diuretics, which means they can irritate the bladder and cause increased urine production. Limiting the consumption of these beverages by drinking them on a controlled basis can help patients manage OAB symptoms.
- Manage Weight. Excess body weight can increase abdominal pressure on the bladder which often causes patients to have a difficult time managing their bladder, resulting in leakage and urgency. Managing weight can reduce the pressure on the bladder and help patients manage their symptoms.
- Double Voiding. Double voiding is a technique that can help patients with an overactive bladder. It involves giving yourself 20 seconds after urinating and then trying to urinate again to ensure all fluid is released. This can help patients prevent an additional trip to the bathroom.
Treatment with BEST Health System
BEST Health System is a modern ambulatory center offering advanced treatment to patients suffering from incontinence issues. If you have been diagnosed with an overactive bladder but have not found relief through lifestyle changes or conservative therapies, you may be wondering what’s next.
Have you heard of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS)? This is a modern therapy that involves a small implanted device to help patients manage incontinence issues through electrical impulses. BEST Health System is proud to introduce advanced incontinence care to patients throughout Cleveland and the surrounding areas.
Are you interested in learning more about sacral nerve stimulation with BEST Health System? Contact us today to speak with one of our patient care coordinators and learn more about our treatment program for patients with fecal or urinary incontinence.
