Overactive bladder? What is this? What causes this problem? Is it curable? What are the signs and symptoms? How can homeopathy help you? All of this and more answered, in this post and of course our doctors always there to help you. Just fill in your details in the form down below and we will answer all your questions for FREE!
What is an Overactive Bladder?
An overactive bladder is a condition that occurs due to sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle in the wall of the urinary bladder.
OAB results in a sudden and uncontrollable need to urinate even though the bladder may only contain a small amount of urine.
Who is more prone to it?
Age- OAB can happen at any age, It is common in Older adults(Older than 75 years)
Other Medical Conditions- Persons with arthritis, and individuals on oral hormone-replacement therapy.
Race-It millions of people regardless of race
Sex-It is more common in women compared to men.
What is the pathology involved?
Overactive bladder is a problem of the nerves and muscles of the bladder.
Detrusor is one of the major muscles of the Urinary bladder.
Its contraction in response to filling of the bladder by urine is one of the steps in the normal process of micturition.
The nervous system controls contraction and relaxation of the detrusor muscle.
Approximately 300 cc of urine in the bladder triggers the signal to micturate.
Maximum limit Up to which an adult bladder can contain is 600 cc.
Overactive bladder occurs due to inappropriate contraction of the detrusor muscle regardless of the amount of urine.
Causes of the Overactive bladder?
The causes of OAB is as follows:-
• Certain medications
• Nervous system disease or nervous system Trauma
• Stroke
• Dementia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Heart failure or peripheral venous and vascular disease can increase the symptoms.
• In postmenopausal women, symptoms occur due to estrogen deficiency.
What are the signs and symptoms?
• Frequent micturition
• The urgency of urination( Has to go frequently)
• Urinating in the middle of the night
• Urge incontinence( Patient is unable to control)
How to diagnose the problems?
• Taking proper Medical history along with a Physical examination by the physician.
• Pelvic examination to rile out dryness, inflammation etc.
• Prostrate examination in men to rule out BPH
• Urine analysis
• Ultrasound
•Rectal examination to check anal sphincter tone and presence of occult blood or rectal lesions is also ruled out.
• A neurologic examination by a neurologist
• Pulmonary evaluation in rare cases
How does it affect an individual?
OAB can have depressing and devastating effects on an individual’s quality of life.
What are the complications?
Complications of OAB are as follows-
• urinary tract infections (UTI)
• skin infection,
• bladder stones
What is the differential diagnosis?
• Urinary tract infections ( males and females)
• Prostatitis
• Uterine prolapse
• Bladder cancer
What treatment is advised for Overactive Bladder?
• Medications
• Pelvic floor exercises
• Surgery
• Treatment with Botulinum toxin A
What are the dietary restrictions?
• Avoiding alcohol, spicy foods, caffeine
• Including lots of dietary fiber food
• Avoiding high potassium foods
• Drinking normal quantity of fluids
• Go to the toilet only when you need to.
• Vitamin C to help promote healthy bacteria
• Cranberries and blueberries can help
What exercises are recommended for this condition?
• Doing exercises if overweight
• KEGEL EXERCISES- Pelvic muscle training exercises called Kegel exercises are mainly used to treat people with stress incontinence. These help in controlling the urge for micturition.
Can homeopathy help in such conditions?
Homeopathy can help up to an extent. It can help in cases of recurrent UTI and neurological symptoms but in cases like Bladder cancer or Uterine prolapse or stroke Conventional medication and surgical options are needed.
What are the commonly indicated Homeopathic medications?
The commonly indicated Homeopathic medications are as follows-
Natrum muriaticum
Causticum
Pareira Brava
Zincum
For more information, you can visit Urology Care Foundation and Wikipedia.
