An overactive bladder can make it hard to do the things you enjoy. The need to drop everything and race to the toilet can disrupt your life. And if you experience leaking, also known as incontinence, you may be embarrassed about your inability to get to the bathroom in time. Although many people are too shy to talk about their bladder problems, it’s important to know that speaking with your provider about your overactive bladder will allow them to get you the treatment you need. Let’s take a closer look at this condition and what you can do about it.
What is an overactive bladder?
If you have strong, sudden urges to urinate during the day and night, are unable to hold your urine until you get to the toilet or are experiencing urine leakage, an overactive bladder may be the culprit. An overactive bladder may be caused by bladder problems, spinal cord injury, pelvic surgery or some medications. But in many cases, doctors don’t know what causes it.
The main symptoms of an overactive bladder include:
- An urgent need to urinate
- The need to urinate often
- Waking up to urinate two or more times a night
- The need to urinate even if you have just gone to the toilet
- Taking many trips to the bathroom only to urinate a little bit each time
- Leaking urine when you have the urge to urinate
You may have some or all of these symptoms.
What are the health concerns?
In addition to the negative impact an overactive bladder can have on your social life, this chronic medical condition can also cause health problems.
It can create challenges with your physical health due to not being able to exercise, affect your sleep quality and sexual function and, if left untreated, can negatively affect your emotional health as well. Overactive bladder can lead to depression and frequent urinary tract infections as well as falls and broken bones from having to hurry to the toilet.
Speaking with your provider
During a visit with your healthcare provider, he or she will ask you about your past health and symptoms and will perform a physical exam. Depending on your symptoms, you may receive a pelvic exam or a rectal exam if it’s suspected that a prostate problem may be causing your issues. Your provider will also check a sample of your urine and, depending on the results, you may have more tests.
Because you’ll be asked to share information about the kinds of fluids you drink and how much, how often you urinate, how much you urinate, whether you experience leaking and any medicine you take, it may be helpful to keep a journal of your urinary habits for three or four days before your appointment.
Getting treatment
It’s important to know that an overactive bladder can get better with treatment. Based on the information your provider gathers during your visit, he or she will be able to develop a plan for treatment based on your symptoms, concerns and situation. Some common treatment options may include:
- Pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles that control the flow of urine.
- Medications that relax the bladder and reduce the urge to urinate.
- Limiting things that may irritate your bladder such as caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol.
- Relieving bladder pressure by losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight for your body.
- Changing or stopping medications that may be affecting your bladder; however, you should never stop taking your medication without talking to your provider first.
An overactive bladder can affect your life in more ways than one. However, with some help from your medical provider, you can take some steps to relieve your symptoms. If you think you may be experiencing an overactive bladder, reach out to your provider for an appointment.
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Copyrighted material adapted with permission from Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.
