What Is Overactive Bladder?
Overactive bladder leads to sudden and frequent urges to urinate. If you have OAB, you might feel embarrassed and may limit your social and work life. On the bright side, there is a brief evaluation that you can undergo that will determine if there is a specific cause for your overactive bladder symptoms. Utilizing simple behavioral methods, such as changing your diet, can help manage your symptoms. You can also perform bladder-holding and timed voiding techniques that use your pelvic floor muscles.How a Normal Bladder Works
In the body, the kidneys produce urine which then makes its way to the bladder. When a person urinates, that urine passes from the bladder through a tube known as the urethra. A special type of muscle called a sphincter surrounds the urethra and opens to release the urine from the body. In men, the urethral opening is at the tip of the penis while the female urethral opening is located just in front of the vaginal opening. As your bladder fills up, nerve signals are sent to your brain telling you its time to urinate. When you urinate, the signals help the muscles of the urethra, as well as the pelvic floor muscles, relax. The bladder muscles then contract, and the urine is pushed out.How an Overactive Bladder Works
When someone has an overactive bladder, the muscles of the bladder involuntarily contract, even when there is a low amount of urine in the bladder. These contractions give the person an urgent need to urinate. There are a variety of conditions that can contribute to the symptoms and signs of overactive bladder. These include:- Diabetes
- Hormonal changes during menopause
- Factors that can block the bladder outflow - previous operations, constipation, or enlarged prostate
- Neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and stroke
- Urinary tract infections
- Abnormalities in the bladder, such as bladder stones or tumors
- High consumption of alcohol or caffeine
- Trouble walking, which can exacerbate overactive bladder if you aren't able to get to the bathroom quickly
- Medications that lead to an increase in the production of urine or require that you drink a lot of fluids
- Incomplete emptying of the bladder, which can lead to OAB symptoms