Overactive bladder (OAB), also known as urticaria, is a condition marked by an incontinence-causing urge to urinate that occurs suddenly and without control. It can cause embarrassment and distress, which can negatively impact a person’s quality of life. Numerous treatments exist to help manage OAB symptoms and ease their discomfort. This article discusses overactive bladder treatments options, from lifestyle modifications to medical interventions.
What Is An Overactive Bladder Treatment?
Overactive bladder, however, is not one disease but a series of symptoms. The main symptom is an intense urge to urinate. This is usually accompanied by urgency, frequent urination (waking multiple times in the night for urinal purposes), and nocturia. OAB can occur due to a number of factors, such as age, neurological disorders, or urinary tract infections.
Lifestyle And Behavioral Therapies
OAB can be treated with lifestyle and behavioral modifications. These noninvasive methods are effective in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.
- Bladder Training: It involves a schedule of bathroom visits that gradually increases the time between urinations. Bladder exercise helps to increase the time between urination and decrease the frequency of bathroom visits.
- Kegel Exercise: These Kegel exercises are also known as Pelvic Floor exercises. They strengthen the muscles controlling urination. Exercises that strengthen the pelvic muscles can reduce urinary urgency and improve bladder control.
- Food And Drink Changes: Certain foods or drinks can irritate and exaggerate OAB symptoms. These include alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, artificial sweeteners, and food high in spice. You can manage symptoms by reducing or eliminating these substances from your daily diet.
- Water Management: Drinking sufficient amounts of water in a brief period is important, but excessive consumption can increase the desire to urinate. Spreading your fluid intake over the course of the day and avoiding fluids right before bedtime can reduce nighttime symptoms.
Drugs
If lifestyle and behavior modifications do not help, prescription medications can be used to manage OAB. Several medications exist, and each one works differently to relieve symptoms.
- Anticholinergics: These drugs work by relaxing your bladder muscle and decreasing the frequency of urination. Common anticholinergics consist of oxybutynin. While they are effective, there can be side effects, including dry mouth or constipation.
- Beta-3 Antagonists: These medications, such as Mirabegron (such as beta-3 antagonists), relax the muscle of the bladder to increase the volume that it can contain. These drugs are commonly prescribed to patients who cannot tolerate anticholinergics. Other side effects include high cholesterol, headaches, and urinary tract infections.
- Topical Estrogen: Topical estrogen applied directly to the vaginal areas can help rejuvenate tissues around the urethra.
- Botox Shots: Botulinum (Botox), a toxin that relaxes the muscles of your bladder, can also be injected to increase its capacity. Patients who are not responding to other treatments will usually be treated with this treatment. Although the effects can last several weeks, it is necessary to repeat injections.
Neuromodulation Treatments
Neuromodulation uses electrical pulses to modulate the nervous system that controls the bladder. These treatments should be considered when other therapies do not provide relief.
- Percutaneous Nerve Stimulation (PTNS): PTNS involves inserting an ultra-thin needle near the tibial Nerve in the leg. The needle delivers electrical pulses that travel through the nerves controlling the bladder. The treatments are administered every week for a minimum of 12 weeks. If necessary, maintenance sessions can be scheduled.
- Sacral neuromodulation (InterStim Therapy): This involves the implantation of a tiny device under the skin near the sacral neurons. The nerves responsible for bladder control receive an electrical signal from the device. This treatment can offer long-term benefits but requires surgical implantation and regular follow-up.
Surgical Alternatives
Surgery is often a last resort in the treatment of OAB, especially when other options have failed. Several surgical treatments can relieve severe symptoms.
- Bladder Augmentation: This procedure involves enlarging a bladder with a small piece of bowel. It is a major surgery that can have serious risks.
- Urine Diversion: This procedure reroutes urine away from the bladder. It is most commonly used for patients with severe urological dysfunction who are unable to benefit from other treatments. It involves a new way for urine to escape the body.
Conclusion
Overactive urination can be a difficult condition, but different treatment options exist to ease symptoms and improve life quality. All offer relief, whether it’s through lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy, medications, or surgical interventions. Complementary and integrative therapies can offer additional support. Patients and their doctors should collaborate closely to create a personalized treatment program that addresses the patient’s specific needs. With the correct approach, managing OAB and living a fulfilling lifestyle is possible.
