Supported by Astellas.
First off, living with overactive bladder (OAB) is nothing to be ashamed of.
In fact, around 350,000 people in Ireland (both men and women) are currently living with the medical condition.
To understand how OAB occurs, we need to talk about our bladder.
The reason we have this muscle in the first place is so as we can store the urine our body produces, until we find the appropriate time to go to the toilet, and rid our body of its waste product.
Up to that point, our bladder is supposed to be able to hold in urine with the help of the other muscles around it too. The opening and closing of the urethra (the tube our urine passes through to leave the body) is controlled by the sphincter muscles, while the bladder is supported by the pelvic floor muscles. These are the ones that help us to hold in our urine. (We might be due some kegel exercises so!)
However, in the case of overactive bladder, these muscles are actually working overtime, contracting more often than they should, and so they end up sending signals to the brain, telling it that your bladder is full, you’re bursting, and yep – it’s time to go! This right here, is symptom number one.
If you’re feeling a sense of urgency, as though you need to urinate straight away, you’ll find yourself rushing to the loo much more often, and maybe even once or twice during the night too (indicating nocturia). This urinary urgency is no fun if you’re missing out on much needed rest.
Secondly, notice how frequently you need to go to the loo. Someone who is drinking enough water (four to six cups of fluids a day) might go to the bathroom up to eight times within a 24-hour timeframe. If you’re going more often than this, note whether your bladder is feeling full, but you only pass a little urine, or if it feels like your bladder hasn’t emptied fully. If so, you might have OAB.
Thirdly, people with OAB will notice that they leak if they’re unable to make it to the bathroom on time. This is known as urge incontinence. This happens because the need to urinate is so overwhelming, and you literally can’t hold it in. You’ll find small or large quantities can be leaked. If you find that you’re nervous being out with friends or doing the shopping because of this, it can end up having a major impact on life.
If you’re thinking that some of the above symptoms sound a little like yours, don’t worry. Overactive bladder is entirely manageable and there’s no need to be hesitant about talking to a doctor about what you’ve been experiencing either. So, it’s time to get in control.
A good idea though, is to keep a diary of the sort of symptoms you’ve been having, how often you’ve been needing to go to the loo (even write down the time), what discomfort you felt, and how great the urgency was on a scale of one to five (five being super urgent). It’s important to do this so as the doctor can rule out any other possible causes, as some symptoms of OAB are similar to that of an infection.
In numerous cases, the causes of OAB isn’t actually known, but in some cases it can be caused by a problem with the nervous system. The good news is though, there are ways of preventing this and if you find you already have it, you can control it with a few small changes to your lifestyle, eating habits, plus various exercises and tips to add to your daily routine right here.
Supported by Astellas.
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a medical problem that affects the way the bladder behaves, meaning you have much less control over when your bladder contracts to pass urine. OAB is common – about 350,000 [1] people in Ireland have it. It can cause embarrassment and severely impact on people’s lives. To learn more and always stay #InControl visit www.oab.ie
[1] Milsom I et al. BJU Int. 2001; 87: 760-6
Date of preparation : April 2018 URO18008IREb
One-quarter [2] of Irish women aged 40-70 have experienced overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms
[2] Astellas / Accuracy OAB General Public Survey conducted June 2017 among 301 women aged 40-70
Date of Prep April 2018. URO18008IREl
