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.
Interstitial Cystitis Diet
If you or your loved ones have never had any issues with your bladder, you might not be aware of what interstitial cystitis is. To simplify the condition, interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition that causes pain, specifically in the bladder and pelvis. While sometimes the pain is manageable, it can become severe. Because of this, the condition is often added as a symptom of diseases marked under the umbrella term of painful bladder syndrome. An interstitial cystitis diet may be able to relieve some symptoms.
Physical stress is the leading cause of interstitial cystitis. Even physical exercise, psychological stress, or stomach pangs during your menstrual cycle are enough to trigger a flare.
What Does an Interstitial Cystitis Flare Feel Like?
Interstitial cystitis (IC) flares are not like your familiar pangs of pain.
According to a study conducted by the Interstitial Cystitis Association, out of the 750 respondents, 19% reported periods of extreme pain that fluctuated with increased urination during a few days or even weeks. About 12% reported a sudden increase in pain and symptom intensity.
How Do You Avoid IC Flares?
What you eat and drink makes a huge difference in how intense an IC flare is and whether it is triggered.
The following are different ingredients and products that aggravate a person’s IC:
- Soda.
- Alcohol.
- Coffee.
- Tomatoes.
- Spicy food.
- Hot food.
- Chocolate.
- Citrus drinks or juices.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- Caffeinated beverages.
- High-acid food.
Although these ingredients and products are relatively common, this does not mean you have to keep living with IC. There are plenty of other products and foods you can have to avoid IC flares, and here are some things you should stock up on for your new and improved diet.
1. Green Tea
Green tea is the perfect solution. Most green teas such as berry, chamomile and mint offer little to no caffeine content. Not to mention that these teas are healthier for your diet and body. These teas offer energy, soothe the stomach and keep your body nourished while alleviating any pain from your bladder.
2. Low-Fat Yogurt
Low-fat or fat-free dairy should be your go-to.
If you eat yogurt as a snack, always go for an option without sugar or any artificial sweeteners. Plain yogurt works well in a pinch, but if you like your sweets, try to choose sweet yogurts that offer non-citrusy flavors, like a berry.
3. Go Whole
Moving away from citrus can seem like a tragedy for any fruit lover. But it doesn’t have to be.
If you like fruit, try unsweetened fresh fruits instead of juices. Even frozen or canned fruits are fine, and your goal should be using whole fruits instead of juices.
If needed, drink 100% fruit juices (preferably juice you have made yourself), and choose options that are vitamin-C rich, so your body gets that kick of energy it needs.
4. Healthy Meat Alternatives and Cooking Methods
We all love our fair share of meat. But, if you want to avoid IC flares, use this moment to try meatless options. There are so many brands that offer meatless food that doesn’t even taste like a non-meat product. Experiment with plant-based products and make some of your favorite meals. Burgers, pizzas, sandwiches and lasagna — there is a laundry list of meatless food you can make with vegetarian options.
But if you don’t want to give up your meat habit any time soon, make healthier choices. Instead of having fried meats, bake the meat. Roasting, grilling and broiling are also good options. Trim away visible fat and stick with leaner meats. If you have chicken or turkey, remove the skin to save yourself any pain.
5. Limit Your Greases
Ingredients like oils, margarine, butter, mayonnaise and salad dressings are essential for our diet.
But if you want to live without pain, you may need to limit these ingredients substantially. Again, plant-based ingredients are an option. Olive oil, canola oil, olive butter, or butter made from buttermilk are also delicious. You have to stay away from greasy food and pick trans-fat-free ingredients.
In Conclusion
This is just the beginning of a long list of ways to improve your chances against IC. Hopefully, with the above list, you will get started on leading your life the healthy way you deserve.