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.
Sprained Ankle Treatment
An ankle sprain occurs when there is an eversion or inversion of your foot (a twist of your ankle) that causes your ligaments to stretch or tear. The eversion or inversion can be caused by either a fall, an accident involving someone stepping on your foot, or walking on an uneven surface.
The ankle has three ligaments that prevent excessive movement and stabilize your joints. Most sprains are inversions that injure the ligaments on the outer side of your ankle. The severity of the damage caused by an eversion/inversion determines if the injury is a twist, sprain, or fracture.
After you twist your ankle, you should be able to walk it off immediately, or your ankle should be back to normal after a day of home treatment. Ideally, a twisted ankle may not require medical intervention.
A sprain means you have an excessive stretch or tear of the ligaments. Your ankle may be bruised or swollen after the incident. On the other hand, a fractured ankle can only be diagnosed with an x-ray and occurs when the ankle bone is cracked or broken.
A good indication of a fractured ankle is that you would have probably heard a cracking sound at the time of the injury. If you have excessive pain, your ankle is numb, or it looks crooked and cannot bear weight, it is probably fractured.
Treatment Options for Sprained Ankle
A sprained ankle treatment protocol is indicated by the abbreviation RICE, which means:
1. Rest
Rest may mean you’ll be restricted from activities that will put undue weight on your injured ankle. A doctor may put you on bed rest for the first two days after sustaining an injury. The unnecessary movement will strain your ankle further and may delay the healing process.
2. Ice
Ice will reduce pain and inflammation. You should apply an ice pack immediately after sustaining the injury to minimize swelling. After that, subject the ankle to the ice for 15 minutes three or more times a day for the first three days.
If you’re in pain after the three days of ice therapy, apply heat to soothe the pain. Heat treatment relaxes tissue and stimulates the flow of blood to the affected area. Use moderate heat for a limited time, and never leave the heat pad or towel on yourself for extended periods or while sleeping. Whether applying heat or ice, do not apply directly to the skin but place a towel over the ankle and then apply the necessary treatment.
3. Compression
Compression means wrapping the ankle with an elastic wrap or bandage. The wrapping compresses the area, reduces swelling, and helps stabilize and minimize the ankle’s movement.
It is advisable to have a sports injury medic wrap the ankle for you or watch this video on how to wrap an injured ankle.
4. Elevate
Anytime you’re sitting or lying down, elevate the injured foot to a level above your heart. Elevation also minimizes swelling.
5. Medication and Therapy
Depending on the severity of the injury and pain level, you may purchase over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, or acetaminophen to help manage the painful inflammation.
To give the ligaments enough time to heal, and if the injured foot cannot bear weight, you may need to walk with crutches. Your doctor may also recommend the use of an ankle brace for immobilization of the joint. Ankle braces also provide compression and heat, which are essential for healing.
Once the swelling eases, your doctor may recommend physiotherapy to restore the ankle's strength and stability. Your doctor may recommend surgery to repair or reconstruct a ligament that isn't healing in rare situations.
Final Remarks
Sprains almost always heal quickly, especially if the RICE. protocol is followed keenly within the first 72 hours of injury. Restraining from activities could mean a faster healing process, especially if you're young. Sprains can be avoided by wearing the right gear and using equipment correctly.