Beware of Overactive Bladder

Watch Out for Overactive Bladder Do you suddenly feel the need to rush to the toilet and find it hard to delay? Do you need to urinate 8-10 times during the day? Do you wake up at night multiple times with the urge to urinate? Has fluid consumption become a nightmare for you? Sometimes do you experience urine leakage following a sudden urgency sensation? If these complaints sound familiar, be warned! The culprit may be 'overactive bladder' disease, which can create quite difficult situations in work and social life. Overactive bladder is a condition characterized by sudden and involuntary bladder contractions without any pathological condition such as hormonal, neurological, infectious or tumoral factors. It is described as a condition in which difficult-to-control urgency is usually accompanied by frequent urination during the day and night, and sometimes patients cannot hold back urine due to these involuntary contractions, resulting in leakage . Although overactive bladder is not a serious health problem, it can cause significant difficulties in work and social life. In fact, due to this uncontrolled urinary urgency that can occur during meetings or travel or while walking in the street, patients may have to impose many restrictions on their daily activities to avoid experiencing difficulties in their social and work lives. Assoc. Prof. Burak Özkan, Urology Specialist at Acibadem Bakırköy Hospital, notes that overactive bladder, which is more common in women but can occur in both sexes and all age groups, is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide, stating: "In fact, medications prescribed for overactive bladder rank 4th globally after antihypertensives, diabetes medications and antibiotics. However, although the frequency of occurrence is high, most patients are not aware that this condition can actually be treated. Yet seeking medical attention without delay not only helps in diagnosing various diseases that may underlie the condition, such as bladder and prostate cancer, but also improves patients' quality of life through treatment of the current condition," he said.

Do you visit the toilet more than 8 times a day?

The most common complaint in overactive bladder, referred to as the 'must-have' symptom, is sudden urinary urgency that is difficult to postpone. Urology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Burak Özkan, notes that the patient usually feels the need to rush to the toilet due to sudden and involuntary urinary urgency, stating: "Apart from this, frequent urination such as 8-10 times during the day and multiple urination at night can also be seen in patients. The most bothersome and embarrassing symptom is urine leakage that can develop along with sudden urinary urgency" he provides information.  

Although the exact cause is still unknown…

The factors causing overactive bladder are still not clearly known today. In fact, there are other diseases that can lead to overactive bladder symptoms. These include: neurological diseases, diabetes, ureteral or bladder stones, bladder tumors, urinary tract infections, foreign bodies in the urinary system, prostate diseases in men, urethral strictures or pelvic organ prolapse in women. Urology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Burak Özkan, "Before we diagnose a patient with overactive bladder, we want to ensure that these underlying conditions do not exist. Therefore, the understanding of 'my neighbor has it too, I don't need to see a doctor' is not correct. If there is a serious disease causing this condition, its cause must be found and treated" he said.

Treatment offers a solution

Today, with appropriate treatment methods, overactive bladder can be resolved and a person's quality of life can be improved. Changes in the patient's lifestyle constitute the most important stage in treatment. In the treatment protocol; many factors such as the person's age, accompanying other conditions, medications used and living conditions are determining factors. Urology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Burak Özkan, "Although there are actually many options available in the treatment of overactive bladder, which ones can or cannot be applied is a decision that the patient and physician will make together. Behavioral therapy, medication therapy or minimally invasive procedures are among the treatment options that can be applied today" he says.  

5 effective tips to keep it under control!

• Reach your ideal weight,
• If you smoke, quit definitely,
• Pay attention to the amount of fluid you consume,
• Make it a habit to do exercises and breathing exercises that can help control the muscles in the pelvic area,
• Avoid excessively spicy foods, carbonated beverages and caffeinated tea and coffee.