Overactive Bladder- A Common problem affecting Personal and Professional Life About Overactive Badder (OAB) :To leak or not to leak that is the question!
An estimated 3 million Canadians have an overachieve bladder, which is the inability to store urine or control the urge to visit the bathroom at least eight times a day or twice a night. Unfortunately, most of us suffer the condition silently and hesitate to discuss symptoms with our family doctor, resulting in the condition getting progressively worse, affecting our personal and professional lives. Whether out of embarrassment or denial, many of us put off seeing our doctor to get a prescription that might bring relief. It is believed that 9 out of 10 OAB discussions in a doctor’s office are initiated by the patient which is why OAB is a well kept secret.
It is for this reason Overactive bladder is known to have a major impact on just about every aspect of a person’s life. It can force persons with OAB to avoid vacations, dinners out, and other social situations. One can even miss out on valuable time with family and friends because they're afraid your overactive bladder will trigger at the wrong time and embarrass you.
The bladder is grapefruit sized sac that hold about 300-500 ml of urine. The kidneys make urine all the time. A trickle of urine is constantly passing to the bladder down the ureters (the tubes from the kidneys to the bladder). We make different amounts of urine depending on how much we drink, eat and sweat.
Urine is filtered by the kidneys and drains into the bladder through two tubes called ureters. From the bladder, urine leaves the body through the urethra. The wall of the bladder is made of several layers. The thickest of these layers is called the detrusor muscle. As the bladder fills up, the bladder wall expands. When it’s time to urinate, the detrusor muscle contracts to push the urine out.
In people without OAB the the person decided when to go while in people with OAB, the bladder decides to go involuntarily. OAB, or incontinence, can be classified into 7 types: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Stress incontinence Urge incontinence Mixed incontinence Overflow incontinence Transit incontinence Functional incontinence Total incontinence
What causes overactive bladder?
The cause of OAB is not something that can be given a definitive answer, as urine leakage and bladder control problems can have a variety of different causes. The most common causes that the medical community has compiled include these: Excess weight – those extra pounds that you’ve been carrying puts pressure on the bladder and can contribute to urge incontinence. Infection - urinary tract infections are known to irritate bladder nerves and sometimes cause the bladder to squeeze without warning.
Medications, alcohol, caffeine – products like these are products that contain theses can dull the nerves, affecting the signal to the brain, resulting in bladder overflow. Diuretics and caffeine are known to cause rapid bladder filling and could contribute to bladder leakage. Nerve damage – individuals who have had nerve damage can have issues sending signals to the brain and bladder to empty at the wrong time. Diseases that can cause nerve damage include diabetes, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and stroke. Trauma that can cause nerve damage includes pelvic or back surgery, herniated disc and radiation. Weak pelvic muscles - muscles that have become stretched and weak due to pregnancy and childbirth, could have stretched the opening of the urethra causing urine leakage. Estrogen deficiency after menopause – being estrogen deficient may contribute to loss of urine due to urgency. What are the symptoms of OAB?
The symptoms of OAB are diverse and differ depending on the individual. The most common symptoms however, include the following: Frequency - going to the toilet at least seven times a day; Nocturia - waking to go to the toilet more than once at night;
Urge incontinence – In some cases, this is when urine can leak before you can get to the toilet when you have a feeling of urgency; and Urgency - getting a sudden urgent desire to pass urine, and not being able to put off going to the toilet.
Persons with an Overactive bladder also suffer from other, more emotional issues. They have to deal with feelings of embarrassment due to the condition and sometimes will choose to isolate themselves or limit their work and/or social life because of it. However, once diagnosed through a brief evaluation, those with OAB can receive treatments that may greatly reduce or eliminate the symptoms and help them to manage its effect on their everyday life. Most common in adults, OAB cab happen at any age and should not be considered a normal part of any individual’s life – young or old. Contact US: MyLeakyBladder 5959 Foxbridge Place, Mississauga, ON, L5M 6K5 Phone - (647)477-8020 http://www.myleakybladder.ca/ You can Follow us Via: Facebook |Twitter | Pinterest| Stumbleupon |scoop.it