Overactive bladder is a condition where your body does not store urine the way it should. While it can impact anyone, it usually affects the elderly. What happens in this condition is your body retains the urine in your bladder. When your bladder is full, your nerves will direct your bladder muscles to expel the urine. Other nerves coerce the urethra and the tube from the bladder to open up so your body can get rid of the waste. Sometimes the nerve signals can get mixed up. And it leads to your body, believing it needs to expel even when the bladder isn’t full. Doctors refer to this condition as an overactive bladder or urinary incontinence.
If you are suffering from an overactive bladder, you might be familiar with the feelings of having an excessive urge to go to the bathroom. However, in most cases, when you do try to urinate, you might find it difficult. Similarly, you might also experience difficulty in holding on to the urine.
A few people might also notice an increase in the urge to urinate at night. While the symptoms might be mild initially, it might aggravate soon and interfere with your everyday life. And in the long run, it might weaken your bladder muscles, which could lead to numerous other health issues too.
While that might sound scary, the solace comes from the fact that this condition is treatable. And you could use a combination of treatments and therapies to cure yourself of an overactive bladder. Check out a few of the treatments that may provide significant results.
Therapy
Numerous therapeutic techniques could help you deal with an overactive bladder. Experimental psychology is one of the first options you should try, mainly because it does not have any side-effects.
Besides that, you could also try Kegel exercises, which will strengthen your pelvic muscles. A medical practitioner or a physiotherapist may teach you these exercises so that you can do it correctly. If you can regularly perform these specific exercises, it can improve the bladder condition greatly.
Biofeedback
This is probably one of the most effective treatments for this condition. In this procedure, your body is fitted with electric sensors, which will help you control your urination urge. That way, you will be more in tune with your body.
Develop A Bathroom Schedule
This is a way of programming your mind to think and act a certain way. When you plan your bathroom breaks and have a strict schedule by which you visit the restroom, your mind will follow this routine. Following this, in the long run, will help you gain more control over your bladder and will prevent urinary inconsistency. In short, you will have more control over your bladder.
Bladder Training
Undergoing a bladder control program or bladder training could come in handy as well. In this, you train your brain and your bladder to exert control of the urination process. Bladder training includes prompted voiding, bladder drill, patterned urge response toileting, and so on.
Bladder injections
If the training and therapies do not help, your doctor might suggest you take bladder injections. These are nothing but protein injections which build bladder strength and help your body have more control over the elimination process.
However, you might experience certain side effects with the regular use of these injections. The risks include a possible case of urinary tract infection. So let your health care practitioner decide whether you need to explore this treatment option.
Surgery
If your condition is a bit more serious and cannot be treated through non-invasive procedures, your doctor might suggest surgery. They might suggest a bladder catheter insertion, which is a thin tube used to collect urine from the body.
These are some of the most popular treatment options available for urine inconsistency or overactive bladder. It is a curable condition without the intervention of medicines if you catch it early. The first step is to understand your body and notice any changes in your urinating schedule. If you notice urinary inconsistency symptoms, inform your doctor immediately to control the condition right at the onset. So, talk to your doctor and explore the numerous treatment options available.