Up to 85% of people with MS report urinary symptoms related to neurogenic bladder dysfunction at some point during their disease course. Patients can experience a variety of symptoms. The specific symptoms and their severity vary between patients and can evolve over time.
Because of the impact that multiple sclerosis has on the central nervous system, particularly in functions of the lower parts of the body, neurogenic bladder is common for MS patients — with 80 percent of patients complaining of bladder dysfunction.
Bladder problems in MS
Hesitancy in starting urination. Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia) Incontinence (the inability to hold in urine) Inability to empty the bladder completely.
Frequency - feeling the need to urinate more than every 2 to 3 hours, Hesitancy - being unable to easily start a flow of urine, Incontinence - a loss of control of urine, Nocturia - being awakened from a restful state by a need to urinate, and.
Intermittent self-catheterization is the preferred option for management of incomplete bladder emptying and urinary retention. Antimuscarinics are the first-line treatment for patients with storage symptoms.
Uninhibited neurogenic bladder is most often associated with a stroke, brain tumor, spinal lesion, Parkinson or a demyelinating disease are the most common causes. Symptoms are typically frequency, urgency, and urge incontinence.
Complications of neurogenic bladder may include: Constant urine leakage that can cause skin to break down and lead to pressure sores. Kidney damage if the bladder becomes too full, causing pressure to build up in the tubes leading to the kidneys and in the kidneys themselves. Urinary tract infections.
The life expectancy of patients in the VS ranges from 3 to 5 years [6].
Diane Newman, adult nurse practitioner and a continence nurse specialist in urology outlines four types of neurogenic bladder disorders: atonic bladder, hyper-reflexive bladder, uninhibited bladder, and sensorimotor paralytic bladder.
Neurogenic bladder is the name given to a number of urinary conditions in people who lack bladder control due to a brain, spinal cord or nerve problem. This nerve damage can be the result of diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease or diabetes.
When assessing neurogenic bladder, a panel of lab tests including urinalysis, urine culture, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, and creatinine clearance are ordered.
It is important to treat neurogenic bladder to prevent kidney damage due to urinary problems. If neurogenic bladder goes untreated, a patient might develop renal disease. People with renal disease may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
While neurogenic bladder can't be cured, necessarily, it can most definitely be managed. Most cases of neurogenic bladder can be managed with medication and intermittent catheterization. The minority of children with the condition need major reconstructive surgery.
Neurogenic bladder is also known as neuropathic bladder. Urinary system muscles and nerves work together to hold urine in the bladder and then release at the appropriate time. Nerves carry messages from the bladder to the brain and from the brain to the muscles of the bladder to signal a release or tightening.
Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Identifying brain areas involved in changes in bladder volume and urgency to void affecting brain activity might help to understand brain mechanisms that control urinary continence and micturition.
Also called neurogenic bladder, this can result from spinal injuries, neurological disorders and congenital malformations. Neurogenic bladder requires treatment from urologists who specialize in neurourology.
Medicine for Neurogenic Bladder
Your health care provider may suggest: Overactive bladder medicines that relax the bladder such as oxybutynin, tolterodine, or solifenacin, as well as mirabegron. Bladder muscle injections to relax the bladder, such as injection of Botulinum toxin.
Spinal disorders or injuries that cause nerve compression or damage may cause Neurogenic Bladder Disorder (NBD), also termed bladder dysfunction. NBD means the patient has problems with urination.
Neurogenic Bladder, also known as Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction, is when a person lacks bladder control due to brain, spinal cord or nerve problems.
Bladder augmentation - Enterocystoplasty
The surgical bladder augmentation is indicated for the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity when the intravesical botulinum toxin injection fails or in cases of low bladder compliance.
There are treatment options and other ways to manage neurogenic bladder, such as: Lifestyle changes. Regularly scheduled bathroom breaks, avoiding foods and drinks that can irritate the bladder, and exercises to strengthen the bladder muscle can all help improve bladder control.
The second theory is that anxiety and stress can cause muscle tension, which can affect the muscles of the bladder and increase the urge to urinate. Anxiety and depression are also associated with nocturia, which is the term for frequently waking during sleep to go to the bathroom.