Overactive bladder (OAB) results in a sudden and frequent need to urinate that might be hard to control. One will feel uneasy and will have an urge to pass urine numerous times during the course of day and night. One must evaluate the symptoms that cause OAB and look for a suitable treatment for it. Below listed are a few of the symptoms and treatments for overactive bladder.
Symptoms
The most prominent and common symptoms of OAB are as follows.
Urinary urgency: This is the inability of a person to postpone or delay the need to pass urine. After the urgency, one will have to rush to the bathroom to urinate.
Frequency of urination: If one is suffering from OAB, they will urinate more than eight times in 24 hours. Typically, a person urinates twice or thrice in a day, so in comparison, it is more than double.
Urge incontinence: This is one of the main symptoms of OAB. In this scenario, there will be a slight leakage of urine whenever one experiences the need to urinate.
Nocturia: This is a symptom in which one will wake up at least twice at night to urinate.
Treatment
If one is looking to understand the symptoms and treatments for overactive bladder, here are some of the effective treatment strategies that might be the most appropriate approach to get rid of OAB symptoms.
Pelvic floor muscle exercises: Physical exercises make the urinary sphincter and pelvic floor muscles stronger. These reinforced muscles can help in preventing the bladder’s unintentional contractions.
Biofeedback: This is a treatment wherein a person is connected to electrical sensors that help them receive and analyze data about their body. These sensors assist a person in making the necessary subtle changes required in the body, which further help in suppressing the feeling of the urgency of urine, by strengthening the pelvic muscles.
Healthy weight: Losing weight will ease OAB symptoms. Weight loss might help in treating the problem of stress-related loss of urine.
Scheduled toilet trips: One must set a periodic interval like every three or four hours, after which they should go urinate rather than waiting to get the urge to urinate.
Intermittent catheterization: If one is unable to clear the bladder, they can use a catheter from time to time to completely empty the bladder. A catheter aids the bladder to do what it can’t do by itself.
Medications: There are several medications that are available in the form of creams, suppository, tablets, or rings that help relax the bladder and reduce the episodes of urge incontinence.
Bladder injections: This treatment involves an injection of onabotulinum toxin A or Botox A that is directly injected into the bladder tissues to relax the bladder.
These are some of the common symptoms and treatments for overactive bladder. One can consult their medical practitioner to find out the best treatment option.
