Overactive Bladder (OAB), also called irritable bladder, is a disorder of the urinary Bladder characterized by a sudden urge to urinate that you may find difficult to hold back. OAB can cause you to have little or no control over the flow of urine—a condition known as urinary incontinence where urine flow happens much against your will.
Among men, it typically affects those above 65 years of age. However, women tend to be affected earlier. The chance of women getting an overactive Bladder increases once they reach their 40s.
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Types of OAB
The two types of OAB are:- Overactive Bladder dry: When you have frequent urges to urinate, but are able to reach the toilet in time without any leakage of urine, the condition is known as overactive Bladder dry.
- Overactive Bladder wet: If you have frequent urges to urinate, but suffer urine leakage before you can reach the toilet, the condition is known as overactive Bladder wet.
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The burden of OAB
OAB can affect your quality of life and can be a major obstacle in carrying out your day-to-day activities. You may feel miserable about your condition and may be forced to limit your social and professional life. Fortunately the condition can be treated and managed well with timely medical intervention.
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Symptoms of OAB
Knowing the symptoms of OAB can help you recognize the disorder and seek medical help in time.
Symptoms include: - An urgent need to urinate that is difficult to control.
- Urine flow happens against your will.
- Frequent urination—more than eight times in a day.
- Waking up more than twice in the night to urinate.
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Causes of OAB
The filling and emptying of your Bladder is a complex process. It involves the brain, various nerve signals and muscular activity. Any abnormality in the smooth running of this system can lead to OAB and urinary incontinence. In most cases, it is difficult to identify the cause of OAB. Although OAB mainly affects older adults, it should not be considered as a normal part of aging.
Click here to view an animation on OAB.
Seeking medical help
If you experience any of the symptoms of OAB, consult your doctor immediately. Do not ignore the symptoms or delay seeking medical help. An overactive Bladder and urge incontinence may occur because of a serious underlying problem, such as a Bladder infection or a cancerous tumor.
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Other conditions that cause OAB like symptoms
When you visit your doctor with complaints of OAB symptoms, your doctor may conduct tests to rule out the possibility of other disease conditions that may mimic the symptoms of OAB. |
Here are some of the disease conditions that can cause symptoms much like the symptoms of OAB:
- Urinary tract infections.
- Other Bladder abnormalities, such as tumor growth in the Bladder.
- Swelling of tissues near the urinary tract.
- Bladder stones.
- Diabetes (one of the symptoms of Diabetes is excessive urination).
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Complications
An overactive Bladder can affect thenormal course of your life. Symptoms can leave you feeling embarrassed,isolated and miserable. Having to get up frequently in your sleep tovisit the bathroom can also leave you tired and frustrated.
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Here are some of the added problems that can affect people with OAB: - depression and anxiety,
- low self worth,
- tiredness,
- disturbed sleep,
- inability to concentrate,
- frequent absence from work,
- inability to socialize and
- difficulty in traveling.
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Prevention
Preventive strategies are difficult since often the cause of OAB is unknown. However, a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise can reduce the risk of getting OAB. Further following your doctor's advice and taking medications regularly as prescribed, is important for the successful treatment and management of the condition. |