Age-related OAB may develop gradually and slowly worsen over time. If your symptoms develop suddenly and you have heavy leakage, your OAB may be a symptom of another condition, such as an infection or a neurological issue. It's best to have a provider check these symptoms sooner rather than later.
As you age, you're at increased risk of developing overactive bladder. You're also at higher risk of diseases and disorders, such as enlarged prostate and diabetes, which can contribute to other problems with bladder function.
Overactive bladder is usually a chronic condition that doesn't go away. While you may wish overactive bladder would just resolve on its own, the condition can get worse without treatment. But with treatment, the symptoms of overactive bladder can improve significantly to minimize the impact on your quality of life.
While overactive bladder is most common in older adults, the condition is not a normal result of aging. While one in 11 people in the United States suffer from overactive bladder, it mainly affects people 65 and older, although women can be affected earlier, often in their mid-forties.
Signs and Symptoms of Overactive Bladder
Sudden, urgent need to urinate. Difficulty holding in urine. Frequent urination (often eight times or more within 24 hours) Unintentional loss of urine with urgent need to urinate (urgency incontinence)
OAB can cause an urgent need to urinate. You might need to urinate up to eight times a day. You might also experience nocturia, or the need to urinate at least twice overnight.
Two-thirds of women experience urinary tract discomfort. If you're one of them, you might be wondering if a urinary tract infection or an overactive bladder is the cause. Both urinary tract infection UTI and overactive bladder are characterized by a strong, frequent urge to urinate.
Go to the bathroom at the specific times you and your health care provider have discussed. Wait until your next scheduled time before you urinate again. Be sure to empty your bladder even if you feel no urge to urinate. Follow the schedule during waking hours only.
Bladder irritants
Coffee, tea and carbonated drinks, even without caffeine. Alcohol. Certain acidic fruits — oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes — and fruit juices. Spicy foods.
Urinate frequently: OAB may also cause people to go to the bathroom many times during the day. Experts say that " frequent urination " is when you have to go to the bathroom more than eight (8) times in 24 hours. Wake up at night to urinate: OAB can wake a person from sleep to go to the bathroom more than once a night.
Talk to your doctor if you're experiencing any of the following symptoms: strong, sudden urges to urinate. urinating more than 8 times in 24 hours or waking more than 2 times at night to urinate. not making it to the bathroom in time.
Stress, anxiety, and depression may actually contribute to OAB and urinary incontinence. In a study involving more than 16,000 women in Norway, having anxiety or depression symptoms at baseline was associated with a 1.5- to two-fold increase in the risk of developing urinary incontinence.
Prior research has linked anxiety and OAB: up to 40% of women and 30% of men with OAB also have generalized anxiety disorder. The link between stress and OAB is less studied. In animals, experimental stress can cause OAB-like symptoms and behaviors as well as bladder and somatic hypersensitivity.
Several factors may be linked to frequent urination, such as: Infection, disease, injury or irritation of the bladder. Conditions that increase urine production. Changes in muscles, nerves or other tissues affecting bladder function.
Vitamin C found in foods.
A study done on vitamin c intake in 2060 women, aged 30-79 years of age found that high-dose intake of vitamin c and calcium were positively associated with urinary storage or incontinence, whereas vitamin C from foods and beverages were associated with decreased urinary urgency.
How is overactive bladder diagnosed? In most cases OAB can be diagnosed by history and physical exam and a urine analysis to rule out infection or blood in the urine. An abnormal urine analysis may prompt treatment (if infection is found) or further testing (if blood is found).
Because the bladder can only hold so much fluid volume, increasing water intake will increase the frequency of urination, and may make people with an overactive bladder more likely to leak. If you have overactive bladder (OAB), more fluid intake typically equals more trips to the bathroom.
In people with neurogenic bladder, the nerves and muscles don't work together very well. As a result, the bladder may not fill or empty correctly. With overactive bladder (OAB), muscles may be overactive and squeeze more often than normal and before the bladder is full with urine.
Ultrasound imaging can detect bladder muscle overactivity by measuring the thickness of the bladder wall. Researchers have determined that a thicker bladder wall may be associated with OAB. Ultrasound imaging can also detect other underlying conditions that are responsible for OAB, such as bladder stones.
Magnesium. Magnesium is important for proper muscle and nerve function. Some doctors believe better magnesium levels can reduce bladder spasms, a common cause of incontinence. Magnesium levels can be checked through a blood test at your next doctor's visit.
Anticholinergic medicines help relax the muscles of the bladder. They include oxybutynin (Oxytrol, Ditropan), tolterodine (Detrol), darifenacin (Enablex), trospium (Sanctura), and solifenacin (VESIcare). Beta agonist drugs can also help relax the muscles of the bladder.
Our urologists treat patients with OAB with combinations of behavioral therapy, medication, and in severe cases, a therapy called Interstim, to treat overactive bladder. Another option is the injection of Botox into the bladder to relax and paralyze the overactive muscle.