Learn about Overactive Bladder

Overactive Bladder

What is an overactive bladder?

Overactive bladder, also called OAB, describes a combination of symptoms that can include:

-An uncontrolled frequent and sudden urge to urinate.

-Pass to urinate many times during the day and night.

-Urgency incontinence.

These symptoms can disrupt your life, even if you are able to get to the toilet in time when you feel an urge to urinate.

Symptoms

-The difficulty of controlling the sudden urge to urinate.

-Urgency incontinence.

-Urinate few times in 24 hours.

-Wake up few times at night to urinate.

Follow the link for more information about the symptoms of overactive bladder.

Causes

-Weak pelvic muscles: Pregnancy and childbirth can lead to the fragility of the pelvic muscles; so the bladder will sag out of its normal position. All of these factors can cause leakage.

-Nerve damage: Trauma and diseases (Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis) can cause the damage of the nerves that sent signals to the brain and bladder to squeeze urine out of the body; so the patient will empty his bladder at the wrong time.

-Medicines that cause a rapid increase in urine production.

-Excess consumption of caffeine or alcohol.

-Infection: A urinary tract infection (UTI), can irritate the bladder nerves and cause compression to the bladder.

-Excess weight: The overweight causes extra pressure on your bladder. This can lead to urge incontinence.

-Hormonal  deficiency in estrogen after menopause

Sometimes the doctor doesn’t find a cause for the overactive bladder.

Risk factors

-Age: You have a high risk of having an overactive bladder when you get older. Age also raises your risk of other conditions that affect bladder control: BPH, diabetes…

-Women have more risk of developing an overactive bladder than men for several causes that affect the hormones and the pelvic muscles: menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

-Obesity

-People who have certain diseases like stroke or multiple sclerosis.

Complications

Overactive bladder can affect your life and cause:

-Depression.

-Anxiety.

-Sleep disorders (Waking up often at night to pee).

-Negative effects on sexuality.

 

Follow the link, to learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder.