Overactive bladder, commonly known as OAB, is a condition that produces an urgent need to pee often and without warning, which can be difficult to suppress. You can have the sensation that you have to urinate frequently during the day and night, and you might also find that you lose pee without meaning to (urgency incontinence).
If you have a bladder that is hyperactive, you can feel humiliated, isolate yourself, or reduce the amount of work and social activities you participate in. The good news is that your symptoms of an overactive bladder may be traced back to a particular cause, which may be identified after only a quick assessment.
Simple behavioral measures, such as dietary adjustments, scheduled voiding, and bladder-holding techniques employing your pelvic floor muscles, may be able to help you control the symptoms of an overactive bladder. If this is the case, you should give them a try. Additional therapies are available to you in the event that these primary interventions do not sufficiently alleviate the symptoms of your overactive bladder.
Table of Contents
What Exactly is an Overactive Bladder?
Overactive bladder is a collection of symptoms that can lead you to need to urinate more frequently, have higher urgency, have incontinence (leakage), and have a desire to urinate while you are sleeping. It can also cause you to suffer incontinence (leakage). It only takes one of these symptoms, or all of them, for there to be a significant influence on your quality of life and level of stress.
Overactive Bladder Symptoms
If you only have incontinence on occasion, this does not indicate that you have a bladder that is overly active. Other things, including laughing too hard, can also cause urine to flow out of your body, like when it happens. If you have been holding your pee in for a lengthy amount of time when you have the desire to urinate, you may also have a loss of urine.
Urinary urgency and frequency are two symptoms of a bladder that is hyperactive. The following are examples of signs and symptoms:
- An insatiable want to urinate that won’t go away urine loss that is both frequent and uncontrolled (more than eight times in a 24-hour period).
- Getting up many times during the night in order to use the restroom
- Alterations in symptoms of an overactive bladder are possible. Additionally, they may vary from person to person, which can make it challenging to diagnose the problem without the assistance of a medical professional. If you are familiar with the signs of an overactive bladder, you will be able to locate effective remedies more quickly.
The Therapy for Overactive Bladder
There are several therapies available to assist you to control the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB). These may include the following:
Physical Treatment for the Pelvic Floor
There are certain physical therapists who choose to focus on the muscles of the pelvis as their area of expertise. They are able to assist in the management of a range of urinary issues, including urgency, frequency, and overnight symptoms, through the performance of specific muscle exercises and strengthening activities.
Urine is produced by your kidneys, and then it is sent to your bladder for storage. After then, your brain will transmit messages to the rest of your body, instructing it to urinate. The muscles on the floor of your pelvis relax, which enables urine to leave your body.
Your bladder muscles will contract without you even realizing it if you have an overactive bladder. This makes you feel as though you have to urinate regularly, even though your bladder isn’t actually full of urine.
The health of the urinary tract is essential to the proper functioning of the bladder. It’s common for problems in your urinary system to be the root of the issue when you have an overactive bladder.
Medication
The primary goals of medical treatments for overactive bladder are to alleviate the associated symptoms and to reduce the number of episodes of urge and incontinence. Tolterodine (marketed under the brand names Detrol and Detrol LA), trospium (marketed under the brand nameSanctura), and mirabegron are some of these medications (Myrbetriq).
Some OAB drugs are known to induce adverse effects, the most common of which are dry eyes, dry mouth, and constipation. Learn about the potential adverse effects of the drug for overactive bladder, as well as any other relevant factors.
Diagnosis
The primary symptoms of OAB can also be seen in other illnesses, including but not limited to the following:
- Infection of the urinary tract
- Prostate enlargement Cancer of the bladder
- cystitis interstitial, as well as prostatitis
It’s time to make an appointment with your primary care physician if you’ve been experiencing symptoms consistent with an overactive bladder but haven’t been given a formal diagnosis for the condition. The following are examples of common tests that might screen for an overactive bladder:
Examination of the Body
Your symptoms and past medical history will both be inquired about by your physician.
Urinalysis
This examines the contents of your urine for symptoms of infections, blood, or other health issues
Neurological exam
Your physician will examine your reflexes to look for any signs of dysfunction.
Bladder scan
This imaging test is able to determine the amount of urine that is still present in your bladder after you have urinated.
Causes
OAB symptoms can be caused by a variety of disorders and external sources, including the following:
- consuming an excessive amount of fluids
- using drugs that cause an increase in the amount of urine produced
- infections of the urinary tract
- the intake of bladder irritants including coffee, alcohol, or other substances
- Urinary abnormalities, such as bladder stones, can result from the inability to completely empty the bladder.
- It is not understood what causes an overactive bladder in any individual situation. The likelihood of getting this illness is said to rise with advancing years. However, an overactive bladder is not a natural aspect of aging, which is why you shouldn’t disregard any symptoms you may be experiencing. Visiting a physician can assist ensure that you receive an accurate diagnosis of your condition.
Conclusion
An overactive bladder, also known as OAB, can bring on an unexpected need to pee. A significant number of people are affected with overactive bladder each and every year. Women are far more likely to be impacted than males.
You must contact your Best Urologist for further details. We suggest having a second opinion from the best health experts through Marham because it has a large number of patients who are having the best health care facilities through it.
FAQs
1. Why does OAB appear and disappear at will?
Some of the possible causes are having weak muscles, having nerve damage, taking medicine, drinking alcohol or caffeine, having an illness, or being overweight. Altering your way of life could be beneficial.
2. How long does it take for the sensation of having an overactive bladder to stop?
The appropriate length of time for OAB pharmacotherapy and the maintenance of its efficacy has not been identified as of yet. It has been recommended, after conducting a survey and doing a review of the relevant literature, that patients with OAB can be treated for their symptoms for a period of six months to one year, and that patients should be encouraged to continue with their pharmacological therapy.
3. Is there a treatment for OAB?
Behavioral therapy, changes in lifestyle, medication, and even surgery are sometimes included in these treatments. OAB can occur for a variety of different causes. Addressing the underlying cause of your overactive bladder (OAB), might sometimes help the symptoms.
