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Overactive bladder (OAB) is increased urinary urgency, with or without urge urinary incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia. Urgency is the sudden, intense desire to urinate. Urge incontinence (UI) is defined as the unwanted urine leakage (referred to as wetting accidents) that happens shortly after urgency. Urge UI is caused by involuntary bladder contractions that occur as your bladder fills. With urge UI, a person may be aware of the urge sensation but will be unable to stop leakage before reaching the toilet.
An additional symptom seen very often, especially in the elderly, is nocturia, awakening more than two times at night to void. Getting up at night to urinate during the night will often disrupt sleep. Many people find it difficult to discuss their OAB problem with their doctor or nurse.
What causes Overactive bladder?
A malfunctioning detrusor muscle causes overactive bladder. Identifiable underlying causes include the following:
- Nerve damage caused by abdominal trauma, pelvic trauma, or surgery
- Bladder stones
- Drug side effects
- Neurological disease (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, spinal cord lesions)
Other conditions can produce symptoms similar to those experienced with overactive bladder, the most common of which is urinary tract infection (UTI) in women.
What are the likely symptoms of Overactive bladder?
The symptoms of overactive bladder includes:
- Frequency - often having to urinate more than 8 times over 24 hours (including waking up to urinate 2 or more times a night); the need to urinate may occur soon after the bladder has been emptied.
- Urgency - frequent, sudden, strong urges to urinate with little or no chance to postpone the urination.
- Wetting accidents (also called urge incontinence) - involuntary loss of urine (a small or large amount) following a sudden, strong desire to urinate (urgency).
Most people with overactive bladder experience only the symptoms of urgency and frequency (60%). The remaining 40% have wetting accidents (urge incontinence) in addition to urgency and, often, frequency.
How to prevent Overactive bladder?
Although there is no scientifically proven regimen to prevent urinary incontinence, maintaining your general health is always a good step to head off illnesses and disease that might cause incontinence. Healthy eating and weight control may be preventive measures, as there have been links between obesity and incontinence. Activities that exert pressure on pelvic muscles should be avoided, such as straining during bowel movements, or heavy lifting. Persistent coughing from smoking also can stress pelvic muscles, giving smokers another reason to quit.
Reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption can improve the body's ability to retain urine. Both substances can inhibit production of a hormone that concentrates and decreases the volume of urine by increasing reabsorption of fluid by the kidneys.
Although there is no specific diet to prevent incontinence, it is thought certain foods and drinks can irritate the bladder, and should be avoided if consuming them appears to produce or increase symptoms:
- carbonated beverages
- coffee or tea, including decaffeinated forms
- milk or milk products
- citrus juice and fruits
- tomatoes, and tomato-based products
- sugar, and
- honey
Some medications may contribute to incontinence. Talk with your health care professional if you experience urinary leakage while taking these drugs:
- diuretics, or "water pills," that increase urine flow, including: Esidrix, Lasix, Maxide
- sedatives and muscle relaxants, including: Valium, Librium, Ativan
- antihistamines, and cold and allergy medications, such as Benadryl
- antidepressants and antipsychotics, including: Elavil, Prolixin, Haldol, and
- calcium channel blockers, which are often prescribed for high blood pressure and angina, including Calan, Procardia, Cardizem
What medications are used to treat Overactive bladder ?
Some of the medications prescribed for Overactive bladder
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