Understanding Overactive Bladder: Beyond the Bathroom Trips

When most people think of overactive bladder (OAB), they think of the frequent urge to urinate. But the effects of OAB reach much farther than the nearest restroom. 

As a leading women’s healthcare provider, Feminine Urgicare understands how OAB can interfere with even the simplest activities and pleasures. In this post, learn why it happens, what symptoms it causes, and how we can help you manage it.

Why OAB happens — and what it really feels like

Urination seems simple, but it’s actually a complex process. As your bladder fills, it stretches and pulls on special bladder muscles. In turn, the increased tension triggers nerve reactions that communicate with the brain. These nerve signals tell your brain that you need to urinate. 

OAB happens when the muscles and nerves don’t work correctly, causing bladder contractions too often or at the wrong times. 

“Mixed signals” between your bladder muscles and nerves and the brain create sudden urges to urinate — even at night when you’re trying to sleep. Urges can be so intense and immediate that many people with OAB leak urine — a condition called urge incontinence.

Not surprisingly, these symptoms can lead to significant anxiety. This can include worrying about reaching a restroom, fear of accidental urine leakage, and lack of sleep.

Because symptoms tend to develop gradually, it’s tempting to write the symptoms off as “just part of getting older.” 

However, delaying treatment for months or even years compounds the emotional impact of the condition. 

The good news is that OAB is treatable, and the sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you can take control of your health and your comfort.

Treatment starts with knowing why

While OAB involves the nerves and muscles, the bigger question is, why and how are those muscles and nerves acting erratically? As it turns out, many factors can cause or contribute to OAB, and figuring out which ones play a role in your treatment is important.

While age-related changes can play a role for many people, other issues can also trigger OAB, like:

• Neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis
• Strokes
• Hormonal changes, particularly before and during menopause
• Weight challenges
• Chronic constipation
• Unmanaged diabetes
• Urinary tract infections
• Chronic bladder inflammation
• Bladder stones or tumors

Some medications and habits like smoking and drinking alcohol can contribute to OAB symptoms. 

Diagnostic testing and imaging help determine what’s causing OAB, combined with a comprehensive office exam, lab work, and, of course, a review of your symptoms and your health history.

Once we determine what’s causing your OAB, we develop a treatment plan. Depending on your needs, your plan might include pelvic floor therapy, medications, or even minimally invasive therapies.

Botox® therapy can help people with overactive nerves, and many people benefit from lifestyle changes, like losing excess weight and modifying caffeine and alcohol intake. Regular check-ins with our team ensure your treatment plan stays on track as your needs change.

If you’re dealing with OAB symptoms or any type of change in urination, we can help. To learn more, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Feminine Urgicare in Paramus and Clifton, New Jersey, today.