How You Can Stop the Leakage Overactive bladder (OAB) refers to symptoms rather than a disease. It is used to describe the phenomenon of people experiencing urinary issues. Some products that help include Comfort Medical and PureWick. Treatments for an Overactive Bladder Treatments will vary depending on what exactly is wrong. Most cases of OAB do not require invasive intervention. Some of the most common treatments recommended are: Lifestyle changes: Introducing some exercise routines in your life can help strengthen muscles. Plus, it can fight obesity, which can help reduce the chances of suffering from OAB. Some experts recommend that you try to put your bladder on a schedule. By training your bladder to know what you can and cannot do, you can shape your behavior. Some also recommend “bladder training,” where you try to delay urination when you feel the urge to grow in increasing durations to strengthen your ability to “hold it”. Using protective, absorbent padding can be a last resort if you cannot adjust your behavior. This will allow you to avoid embarrassing accidents. Medication: Some prescription medications can be sued to help strengthen areas of the body or “relax” your bladder. Some common medications include: tolterodine, darifenacin, fesoterodine and mirabegron. Botox: Botox does not just flatten our wrinkles. Small injections of Botox into bladder tissue can offer temporary relief from bladder problems. It sometimes has the side effects of increased UITs and urinary retention. Nerve stimulation: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation has also been shown to help with OAB. It works by sending electrical signals from a nerve in your leg to nerves connected with bladder control. Surgery: For those suffering from severe symptoms, surgery is the last option. It can involve increasing the size of the bladder or replacing the bladder with a surgically constructed replacement. Comfort Medical vs. PureWick Comfort Medical provides catheters inserted into the urethra to manage urinary incontinence internally, whereas PureWick offers an external catheter solution using an absorbent wick for non-invasive urine collection. Getting a Diagnosis Anyone can suffer from OAB. Unfortunately, many adults are too embarrassed to ask for help or do not realize their conditions are treatable. Roughly 30% of men and 40% of women in the U.S. suffer from overactive bladder symptoms. While no one is immune to these problems, there are some conditions that increase your chances of suffering from OAB. These can include: Brain damage Hormonal changes Pelvic muscle weakness Urinary tract infections (UTI) Taking certain medications Stoke, multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions impacting the central nervous system (CNS) Signs and Symptoms of OAB Some people fail to realize that their bathroom habits are not normal. Familiarizing yourself with the symptoms can allow you to better recognize the signs of OAB which will get you one step closer to treatment. Those suffering from an overactive bladder may experience the following: Urgency: OAB’s main symptom is that sufferers experience strong, sudden urges of needing to go to the bathroom. Typically, the need to go to the bathroom will build up over time. While it is easy to ignore these feelings until you have to go, when all you feel is a sudden urge to go immediately or risk having an accident, there may be something wrong. Leaking: Suffering from something called “urge incontinence” is rather common when you suffer from an overactive bladder. It means that sometimes during these sudden urges, you will leak a little urine. You must distinguish it from people suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Rather than leak during an episode of sudden urges, those suffering from SUI leak during physical activities which would strain the region including sneezing, laughing or stretching. Frequent urination: Frequently needing to use the bathroom is not always a sign that you drank too much. If you constantly need to go to the bathroom a lot throughout the day (especially to the point where it begins to interfere with your daily life), you may be suffering from OAB. Waking up to pee: The same can be said for those who have to wake up to go to the bathroom. A fully functioning bladder is normally able to hold urine while someone is sleeping. If you frequently have to get up during the night because you need to use the bathroom, you should talk to your doctor about OAB. [youmaylike] Causes of an Overactive Bladder Because OAB is not one disease, but rather an umbrella term to characterize specific urinary symptoms, physicians will need to investigate the underlying cause of your problems. The origin of problems usually arises from areas in the urinary tract itself. Areas of the body likely responsible for an overactive bladder include the following: Kidneys. Bladder. Ureters. Urethra. Sphincter muscle. In Conclusion Talk to a trained physician if you believe you or a loved one may be suffering from an overactive bladder. They will be able to offer expert advice on how to handle your case. This is not the same as someone who suffers from an inability to control their bladder from emptying on its own.
Caffeine Allergy Symptoms
Chugging a Red Bull during a basketball game, drinking coffee in the morning, having a cup of tea at the end of the night—that is what dreams are made of when you have a caffeine allergy. You may experience caffeine allergy symptoms and not even know it.
Although it plays a small part in your daily diet, caffeine has a significant role in improving your health. A report published by Harvard Medical School explains that coffee consumption leads to a decreased risk of type II diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cirrhosis, colon, liver, and uterine cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease.
While your caffeine-loving mind may love these dramatics, the truth is that caffeine is not a part of the essential food groups. So, even if you give up on caffeine, you won't experience any earth-shattering changes.
Caffeine Allergy Symptoms
Remember that caffeine sensitivity and caffeine allergies are not the same.
Caffeine sensitivity occurs when your body is slow to metabolize caffeine, so you experience caffeine's effects differently. In comparison, caffeine allergies cause a range of varied reactions. For example, some of the physical symptoms caused by caffeine allergies include:
- Hives
- Lip, mouth, and tongue itchiness
- Swollen tongue or lips
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- Nervous jitters
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Stomach pain and diarrhea
- Muscle tremors
These symptoms typically develop within hours of exposure and are usually treated with antihistamines. But for those who experience severe allergic reactions such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, that calls for further medication.
Your doctor will tell you not to ingest any food or drink with caffeine in it. But, they will also recommend staying away from self-care products that may contain caffeine. This includes bath bombs, lotions, and skincare products.
Do I Need to See a Doctor for a Caffeine Allergy?
The worst thing you can do if you suspect a caffeine allergy is to self-diagnose your condition.
If you've consumed caffeine before and are suddenly experiencing symptoms, that is concerning, and will require a medical check-up. Once your doctor conducts a skin patch test and diagnoses a caffeine allergy, you should only think about cutting caffeine from your diet.
Your doctor will provide you with a list of products that contain caffeine—such as tea, coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, soda, diet soda, vitamin supplements, and some medications—so that you can avoid them in the future. They will also be able to explain why you are experiencing these allergic reactions.
What Can Cause a Caffeine Allergy?
Specific diets, medication, vitals, biochemistry, and age, in addition to a variety of factors, can impact your response to caffeine.
If you're an active caffeine drinker, there's the chance that you may have exhausted your adrenal glands, which may be causing other symptoms. If you develop a caffeine allergy over time, it's also possible you may have had caffeine intolerance all along, and it may not have reached its peak yet.
With caffeine allergies, it's unfortunately difficult to diagnose them definitively because they are rare. If your doctor asks you to skip all caffeinated food and drinks from your diet, and you see a positive response, it may confirm the diagnosis that you, indeed, have a caffeine allergy.
Managing Effects of Caffeine Withdrawal
If you've consumed caffeinated products regularly your whole life it won't be easy to manage your withdrawal from them, but it won't be impossible.
In the beginning, you will experience symptoms such as:
- Tiredness
- Headaches
- Shakiness
- Irritability
Remember that caffeine is a drug, so you will need to be patient when moving on from its use. Within two weeks, you will find yourself feeling much better. However, if you can't find a source of energy or a way to help you stay alert, here are some things you can do:
- Take breaks from staring at the screen. Instead of causing eyestrain by staring at the computer or your phone, moving away from the screen or closing your eyes and resting them will help you feel refreshed. If you can, get up from your desk and walk around for at least 5–10 minutes. You'll feel refreshed too.
- Drink water. A tall glass of water will make all the difference if you're feeling sleepy. Hydrating your organs will not only replenish the liquids you've lost during the day, but it'll also help you feel alert.
- Get enough sleep. 6–7 hours is enough to freshen up your mind. Whenever possible, take catnaps or close your eyes. Do what you can to give your overworked mind some rest.
- Eat a healthy diet. This doesn't mean that you give up your pizza but be sure to have balanced meals that fill your stomach.
Closing Thoughts
Your caffeine allergy will have no power over you if you follow the right tips. Stay true to your doctor's orders, and give your body some rest, so it can energize you when caffeine can't.
Trust these words: you will feel happier, healthier, and lighter, even without a cup of coffee in your hands!