Overactive Bladder Treatment in Westminster Denver Colorado
Overview
●
Overactive
bladder, also called OAB, causes a frequent and sudden urge to urinate that may
be difficult to control. You may feel like you need to pass urine many times
during the day and night, and may also experience unintentional loss of urine
(urgency incontinence).
●
If
you have an overactive bladder, you may feel embarrassed, isolate yourself, or
limit your work and social life. The good news is that a brief evaluation can
determine whether there’s a specific cause for your overactive bladder
symptoms.
●
You
may be able to manage symptoms of an overactive bladder with simple behavioral
strategies, such as dietary changes, timed voiding and bladder-holding
techniques using your pelvic floor muscles. If these initial efforts don’t help
enough with your overactive bladder symptoms, additional treatments are
available.
Symptoms
If
you have an overactive bladder, you may:
● Feel a sudden urge to urinate that’s difficult to control
● Experience unintentional loss of urine immediately after an
urgent need to urinate (urgency incontinence)
● Urinate frequently, usually eight or more times in 24 hours
● Wake up more than two times in the night to urinate
(nocturia)
Even if you are able to get to the toilet in time when you
sense an urge to urinate, unexpected frequent urination and nighttime urination
can disrupt your life.
When to see a doctor
●
Although
it’s not uncommon among older adults, overactive bladder isn’t a typical part
of aging. It might not be easy to discuss your symptoms, but if they are
distressing you or disrupting your life, talk to your doctor. Treatments are
available that might help you.
Causes
●
How
a healthy bladder works
●
The
kidneys produce urine, which drains into your bladder. When you urinate, urine
passes from your bladder through a tube called the urethra (u-REE-thruh). A
muscle in the urethra called the sphincter opens to release urine out of the
body.
●
In
women, the urethral opening is located just above the vaginal opening. In men,
the urethral opening is at the tip of the penis.
●
As
your bladder fills, nerve signals sent to your brain eventually trigger the
need to urinate. When you urinate, these nerve signals coordinate the
relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles and the muscles of the urethra (urinary
sphincter muscles). The muscles of the bladder tighten (contract), pushing the
urine out.
Involuntary
bladder contractions
Overactive bladder happens when the muscles of the bladder
start to contract on their own even when the volume of urine in your bladder is
low. These are called involuntary contractions, and they create an urgent need
to urinate.
Several conditions may contribute to signs and symptoms of
overactive bladder, including:
● Neurological disorders, such as stroke and multiple
sclerosis
● Diabetes
● Urinary tract infections that can cause symptoms similar to
those of an overactive bladder
● Hormonal changes during menopause in women
● Conditions affecting the bladder, such as tumors or bladder
stones
● Factors that get in the way of urine leaving the bladder,
such as enlarged prostate, constipation or previous surgery to treat
incontinence
Overactive bladder symptoms may also be associated with:
● Medications that cause your body to make a lot of urine or require
that you take them with lots of fluids
● Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol
● Declining cognitive function due to aging, which may make it
more difficult for your bladder to understand the signals it receives from your
brain
● Difficulty walking, which can lead to bladder urgency if
you’re unable to get to the bathroom quickly
● Incomplete bladder emptying, which may lead to symptoms of
overactive bladder, as you have little urine storage space left
The specific cause of an overactive bladder may be unknown.
Risk factors
●
As
you age, you’re at increased risk of developing overactive bladder. You’re also
at higher risk of diseases and disorders, such as enlarged prostate and
diabetes, which can contribute to other problems with bladder function.
●
Many
people with cognitive decline — for instance, those who have had a stroke or
have Alzheimer’s disease — develop an overactive bladder. Incontinence that
results from situations like this can be managed with fluid schedules, timed
and prompted voiding, absorbent garments, and bowel programs.
●
Some
people with an overactive bladder also have bowel control problems; tell your
doctor if this is a problem for you.
Complications
Any
type of incontinence can affect your overall quality of life. If your
overactive bladder symptoms cause disruption to your life, you might also have:
● Emotional distress or depression
● Anxiety
● Sleep disturbances and interrupted sleep cycles
● Issues with sexuality
In some cases, treatment of these associated conditions may
help with your urinary symptoms.
Women who have an overactive bladder may also have a
disorder called mixed incontinence, when both urgency and stress incontinence
occur. Stress incontinence is the unintentional loss of urine prompted by
physical movement or activity that puts pressure on your bladder, such as
coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercising. Treatment of stress incontinence is
not likely to help overactive bladder symptoms. Similarly, treatment of
overactive bladder is not likely to improve stress incontinence symptoms.
Some people may have a common combination of bladder storage
problems and bladder-emptying issues. The bladder may cause a lot of urgency
and even incontinence, but it doesn’t empty well. A specialist may be able to
help you with this combination of bladder problems.
Prevention
These
healthy lifestyle choices may reduce your risk of overactive bladder:
● Maintain a healthy weight.
● Get regular, daily physical activity and exercise.
● Limit caffeine and alcohol.
● Quit smoking.
● Manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes, that might
contribute to overactive bladder symptoms.
● Do exercises to make the pelvic floor muscles stronger.
These exercises are called Kegel exercises.
Our
expert providers are experienced and skilled at treating overactive bladders
and are your source for expert treatment of overactive bladders in Westminster
and Denver Colorado. Not only are we the premier treatment for spine injuries
and chiropractic in Westminster and Denver Colorado, but we also specialize in
many other advanced treatment techniques such as shockwave, cold laser, graston
technique, KT Taping, activator, instrument aided spinal alignments, drop
table, toggle, in house rehab services, and on site digital xrays. We are your
Premier destination for overactive bladder treatment in Westminster Colorado
and Denver Colorado Chiropractor.