Monday , 27 November 2023

Overactive Bladder: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Home Remedies

Our bladder collects the urine and expels it when it gets full. A person with overactive bladder loses the ability to control urination.  

What Is Overactive Bladder?

The person with overactive bladder cannot control the number of times they urinate in a day or when they choose to pass urine. As a result, they need to use bathrooms frequently else, urine may leak out.  Unintentional loss of urine becomes a cause of embarrassment and limits social life and work. There are many treatments available to reduce symptoms of overactive bladder and improve your life quality.

What Is Overactive Bladder?
What Is Overactive Bladder?

What causes overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder happens due tomiscommunication between the bladder and the brain. The bladder is not full still the brain signals the bladder that it is time to squeeze and get empty. The bladder as a result contracts causing strong urge to pass urine. 

What are the symptoms of overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder causes group of symptoms that affects the quality of life.

It causes increased frequency of urination. Person with overactive bladder may pass urine more than a time in one day. The person has to wake up several times at night to pass urine. Overactive bladder causes urge incontinence and sudden and uncontrollable urge to pass urine.

What are the risk factors of overactive bladder?

Aging is one of the risk factors for overactive bladder. Other factors that increase the risk of overactive bladder includes damage due to surgery, trauma to pelvis or upper body, conditions such as hydrocephalus, urinary tract infection, history of bladder stone, prostate cancer, stroke and other neurological diseases and  menopause. In addition, eating food that makes bladder irritable also causes overactive bladder. Foods that cause overactive bladder include spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine.

It may not be clear why a person is experiencing overactive bladder if symptoms occur spontaneously.

When to consult a doctor for overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder is not a life threatening disease but it affects the quality of life and become the cause of embarrassment and isolation. Although it is, a common condition but many treatments are available to lessen the symptoms of overactive bladder. However, this condition cannot be cured.

Consult your Healthcare provider if you experience urine leakage regularly; wake up several times in night to go to the bathroom, uses rest room more than 8 times in a day or experience sudden urge the passing urine. Many times a person experiences but do not realize the degree of severity of the disease. There are tools available such as online quiz to analyse the symptoms and severity of overactive bladder. Using these tools help to track the symptoms of overactive bladder and helps to analyse the symptoms that are cause of concern.

How Is Overactive Bladder Managed?

Your doctor may prescribe certain medications and physical therapy along with dietary changes to treat overactive bladder. Rarely more invasive measures are taken to treat the condition. The medicines given are mostly anticholinergics or antispasmodic to reduce incidence of muscle spasm.  However, these medications may cause side effects such as constipation or dry mouth. Therapy treatments include bladder training to strengthen the muscles of bladder and pelvic floor exercises. Meet a specialist who can instruct you through these exercises. If required more invasive treatments such as injection of botulinum toxin to reduce muscles spasm may be required.

What are the home remedies to treat overactive bladder?

You need to exclude or limit the intake of food and drink that contribute to bladder irritation such as caffeine and alcohol. Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight. To reduce constipation and overactive bladder increase fiber intake by eating whole grain and fresh fruits and vegetable. In addition, adjust the intake of drinks during the evening so that it decreases the likelihood of waking you up at night to urinate. If you smoke, quit smoking as smoking irritate the bladder.

Hope our article helps you to manage the symptoms of overactive bladder. Avoid self-diagnosis and treatment and consult a doctor if you are worried about your symptom.

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