Overactive bladder is a condition in which the bladder walls are unable to contract at the appropriate time when the bladder is filled and needs evacuation. Because of the overstimulation of the bladder wall, patients who suffer from overactive bladder feel an intense urge to urinate so often that it interferes with their lives.
Fortunately, patients can make lifestyle changes that mitigate the negative effects of overactive bladder and can treat symptoms by utilizing modern medicine.
Modern Medicinal Treatment
The most direct way to treat an overactive bladder is with the help of drugs such as Toviaz, an antimuscarinic that relaxes bladder muscles. When the bladder walls are not regularly contracting, the feeling of urgency to urinate becomes less common and interferes less when carrying out daily tasks.
Dietary Changes
Dietary changes can also serve as overactive bladder remedies. Some foods and beverages, especially diuretics, cause the body to expel more fluids than it normally would. Reducing or eliminating the consumption of such items can prevent an increase in urinary frequency. Avoid such liquids as: Coffee, Caffeinated Tea, Beer, Wine and Liquor.
Instead, opt for water or fruit juices, both of which can improve general health and are not likely to overstimulate the bladder.
Some foods, including hot and spicy foods, may also aggravate bladder walls and cause an increased frequency of urination.
Lifestyle Changes
Thinking about how your condition affects your life can help you discover ways in which you can change your daily schedule to accommodate overactive bladder. Try some of the following:
- Don’t drink fluids before bed
- Track which foods and beverages cause urinary urgency
- Pay attention to the times when you urinate most frequently and record them
- Stay in areas near a bathroom
- Make friends, family, and co-workers aware of your condition
Staying comfortable and calm can help keep stress from stimulating your bladder and causing you to feel the need to urinate. Even small changes to your lifestyle may help you work toward comfort in your surroundings.
Nerve Stimulation
Trained physicians have the ability to stimulate the posterior tibial nerve, a branch of the sciatic nerve, using a fine needle. Several of these overactive bladder treatments over 12 weeks may slowly increase the body’s ability to control the response of bladder walls. Side effects are minimal if they appear at all, and the treatment has a chance to be permanent.
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| Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help treat overactive bladder symptoms. Source: nih.gov |
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Strengthening the muscles that the body uses to urinate may aid in overactive bladder treatment. In a comfortable area, tighten the pelvic floor muscles for 3-5 seconds, release the tension, then repeat the exercise. Do as many as you can without reaching the point of discomfort.
The pelvic floor muscles are the same muscles used to hold urine when you feel the need to urinate. To perform this exercise, tighten the same muscles you would when you feel a pressing need to go to the bathroom.
Botox Injections
Botox injections can help improve the rigidity of the muscles in the bladder wall. Tougher muscles are more difficult to contract without manual stimulation, which can help treat overactive bladder symptoms. The procedure is conducted twice a year, and side effects are minimal.
Talk to Your Doctor
The first step in treating an overactive bladder is to speak with your doctor about available care options and how they may affect your life. Your doctor may recommend a combination of overactive bladder treatments for you depending on your schedule, home, and working life.
