Weight Loss & Health Improvements To Reduce Your Symptoms
Studies suggest that losing excess weight can reduce the symptoms of stress incontinence and an overactive bladder.
What does this mean exactly? If you can lose about 8 percent of your body weight thats typically around 15 to 20 pounds you will likely see remarkable results. In fact, even just a few pounds of weight loss can reduce incontinence episodes by over 25%.
Aside from all the other health benefits, by losing weight the abdomen will alleviate pressure on all the organs in the area, including the bladder.
As well as weight loss, getting regular exercise can reduce overactive bowel symptoms. Exercise can help to reduce the strain on your bladder which ultimately means less urine leaks.
Stopping smoking can also help with OAB problems since the smoke from cigarettes can irritate your bladder. Smoking can also lead to hacking cough a loud, dry cough which can cause further leaks.
But Have Some Back Up If The Dam Does Break
If youre worried about being caught out and about, without a bathroom, and unable to suppress the urge to pee, make sure you grab some back up protection. And by that we mean disposable underwear and pads. Lily Bird has you covered with pads and underwear delivered straight to your door so you never run out.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Your pelvic floor muscles surround the bladder and urethra and control the flow of urine as you pee.
Weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles can cause urinary incontinence, so exercising these muscles is often recommended.
A GP may refer you to a specialist to start a programme of pelvic floor muscle training.
The specialist will assess whether you’re able to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and by how much.
If you can contract your pelvic floor muscles, you’ll be given an exercise programme based on your assessment.
Your programme should include a minimum of 8 muscle contractions at least 3 times a day and last for at least 3 months. If the exercises are helping after this time, you can keep on doing them.
Research has shown that pelvic floor muscle training can benefit everyone with urinary incontinence.
Find out more about pelvic floor exercises.
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Specific Antidepressants May Suppress Symptoms
Specific antidepressants such as Tofranil, Tyramine and Norfranil may help to suppress overactive bladder symptoms. Which one your doctor chooses to prescribe will depend on your particular symptoms.
For example, the SSRI class of antidepressants works better for stress incontinence than for urge incontinence, although its not clear how it helps. Alternatively, tricyclic antidepressants are known to have anticholinergic side effects, which relax the bladder muscle and cause the muscles of the bladder neck to contract.
Causes Of Overactive Bladder
To understand the cause of Overactive Bladder, a basic understanding of how the urinary system operates is needed.
The kidneys produce the urine and send it to the bladder. The bladder expands to holds the urine while the sphincter muscle acts as a spiget and controls the flow of urine. Basically on or off. As soon as your bladder gets approximately half fullmost people can handle about 2 cups of urineyour brain is signaled that you need to empty it. The bladder muscles contract while the sphincter relaxes. When there is a coordination problem along this system, incontinence occurs.
With Overactive Bladder, a person may be suddenly aware of the urgency sensation but is unable to get to the toilet before losing control of his or her urine. Urine loss can be in large amounts that soak underwear and even outer clothing.
Common triggers like hearing running water or simply the anticipation of urinating can cause a bladder spasm. In some cases, people who have physical limitations may not be able to reach the toilet in time, causing an accident.
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Why Does Urgency Happen
Normally as your bladder fills with liquid it stays relaxed and your pelvic floor muscles contract until it is time to go and you are already sitting on the toilet. Then a reflex happens that relaxes your pelvic floor muscles and contracts your bladder muscle. With urgency the bladder muscle is contracting prematurely. Pelvic floor muscle tension or weakness can both contribute to this issue. Therefore it is not recommended that you start doing any form of kegal exercises before seeing a pelvic floor physical trainer so you do not worsen the problem. You can find a pelvic floor PT near you at Pelvic Guru or Pelvic Rehab.
Just Hang On To What You’ve Got
This brings me to the subject of bladder retraining.This basically involves keeping a diary for 2-3 days of when you pee and how much urine you pass. You then try to hang on for as long as possible between trips to the toilet. Keep going with the diary which should show that you are going less frequently but passing larger quantities of urine each time. The aim is to go every 3-4 hours. You need to keep up the training for several weeks The expectation is that after a few months your bladder emptying frequency will be no different from anybody else’s.
Bladder retraining requires persistence and commitment. AkaMisery didn’t find it helpful to start with, but after encouragement from Middlechild79 she took it up again. It’s best done with the encouragement and support of a continence advisor, doctor or nurse. More details of this method can be found in our overactive bladder leaflet.
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Living With Bph: A Toolbox For Managing Urinary Symptoms
BPH progresses slowly, so most men can decide for themselves if and when they would like to consider medication or surgery. Men with mild to moderate symptoms often find that the changes in fluid intake, medication use, and bladder habits listed below can noticeably relieve BPH’s bothersome effects.
MEDICATION USE: Alter use of medications that could worsen urinary symptoms.
- Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about prescription or over-the-counter medications that may be contributing to your BPH symptoms. Antihistamines and decongestants can cause problems for some.
- If you use medications that could make you urinate more, don’t take them right before driving, traveling, attending an event, or going to bed.
- Don’t rely on ineffective dietary supplements. Saw palmetto and other herbal supplements have failed rigorous scientific testing so far.
FLUID RESTRICTION: Change how much fluid you drink and when to prevent bothersome bathroom visits.
- Don’t drink liquids before driving, traveling, or attending events where finding a bathroom quickly could be difficult.
- Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages after dinner or within two hours of your bedtime.
Scheduling Appointments For Enlarged Prostate Treatment At New York Urology Specialists
We have excellent reviews from patients and their partners. Information for out-of-state and international patients. Find out our office hours or directions to our office.
We offer affordable appointment prices with or without insurance. We offer weekday, weekend, and evening office hours.
Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger is a board-certified urologist and specialist in the treatment of urinary problems in men. He is one of the few urologists who offers a full range of treatment options for BPH . He specializes in all aspects of care for men with an enlarged prostate and urinary problems, including frequent urination at night, difficulty emptying the bladder, urinary urgency, and incontinence. He has successfully treated thousands of men with urinary problems, including urinary retention, painful urination, and frequent urination.
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What Medications Are Used To Treat Overactive Bladder
As youre retraining your bladder, a healthcare provider may prescribe medication. Medications can help restore normal bladder function. Commonly prescribed medications for overactive bladder include:
Anticholinergic medications
Beta-3 adrenergic medication
Beta-3 adrenergic medications cause the detrusor muscles in your bladder to relax so your bladder can store more pee. A healthcare provider may prescribe:
What Is The Link
During perimenopause, a persons hormone levels begin to change. Before this, high levels of the hormone estrogen help keep the muscles around the bladder and pelvic organs strong. After menopause, the ovaries make very low levels of estrogen, and this dramatic drop can weaken the bladder and the urethra.
According to the North American Menopause Society, low estrogen levels can cause the urethral and vaginal tissues to thin, and pelvic floor muscles can relax as a side effect of aging. This can lead to a person experiencing OAB and urinary incontinence.
Hormone changes can also lead to urinary tract infections , which can cause similar symptoms to OAB. People should always consult a healthcare professional when they experience any new urinary symptoms.
Office on Womens Health , multiple treatments are available for OAB, such as:
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What Is Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the accidental loss of urine. According to the National Association for Continence, over 25 million adult Americans experience temporary or chronic urinary incontinence. UI can occur at any age, but it is more common among women over 50. Urinary incontinence may be a temporary condition that results from an underlying medical condition. It can range from the discomfort of slight losses of urine to severe, frequent wetting.
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Why Choose New York Urology Specialists For Treatment Of Enlarged Prostate Problems
- All treatment is performed by a board-certified urologist experienced in treating men with symptoms of frequent urination, urinary urgency, urinary incontinence, and bladder pain using medical therapy, minimally invasive therapies, lasers, and open surgery.
- We are one of the few practices in the region to offer a full range of options for the treatment of urinary problems caused by an enlarged prostate in men.
- We offer treatment options for enlarged prostate, overactive bladder, UTI, and urinary incontinence in our office, which avoids the risks, costs, and recovery from general anesthesia.
- Extensive experience: Thousands of men have been treated successfully using medical therapy, surgery, and minimally invasive procedures such as Urolift procedure, Rezum surgery, Botox for overactive bladder, Interstim for frequent urination, and tibial neuromodulation.
- We also offer laser surgery for BPH , Bipolar TURP, traditional TURP, open suprapubic prostatectomy, robotic suprapubic prostatectomy for BPH.
- We offer diagnostic testing in our office, which avoids hospital costs.
- Confidential and Understanding Care. We understand that most of our patients desire privacy. We see patients with a variety of urological problems. Your reason for visiting us is entirely confidential.
- We are conveniently located within a 30-60 minute commute to men who are seeking BPH treatment in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester, Long Island, Bronx, and New Jersey.
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Cinnamon For Continuous Urination
Cinnamon is one of the best natural medicine for frequent urination caused by urinary tract infection and vaginitis. It can kill fungus, bacteria, germs, and parasites. Thus, it also reduces the problems of excessive discharge, improper menstrual cycle, and bad vaginal odor.
How To Stop Frequent Urination Feeling With Cinnamon?
You should drink cinnamon tea regularly to avoid over urination in the first hand by keeping your system clean from infections. Otherwise, if you have already developed the problem of frequent urination, you can make a cinnamon paste for instant relief from repeated urination.
Required Ingredients
Steps To Make And Apply Cinnamon Paste To Cure Burning Sensation After Urination
- Take 1 tsp cinnamon powder and ? tsp colorless henna in a bowl
- Add cold distilled water in the bowl and stir until you get the desired semi-liquid consistency
- Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes
- In the meantime, massage your pelvic area and vulva with warm cinnamon oil
- Apply the cold paste directly over the freshly massaged surface
- Wash with clean water and apply every alternate day for 2 weeks to get rid of frequent urination feeling
Why It Works?
Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and analgesic. It is rich in vitamin C, E, K, and riboflavin. Thus, it can treat all kinds of infections like UTI and vaginitis. On the other hand, colorless henna is a cooling agent that reduces burning sensation after urination.
How Bothersome Is It
Doctors use the International Prostate Symptom Score to measure how frequent a mans symptoms are. Its a seven-item questionnaire about typical BPH symptoms that provides a score from 0 to 35. You can see the questionnaire at health.harvard.edu/IPSS.
Typically, men who score 8 and above are more likely to think their condition needs treatment, but it varies from man to man. Above a score of 8 there is actually a spectrum of bother, Dr. Barry says. Two men can have the same symptom score, and one can tolerate it just fine but the other cant.
The IPSS test cuts through the subjectivity with this additional question: If you were to spend the rest of your life with your urinary condition just the way it is now, how would you feel about that? If the answer is, I could live with it, then watchful waiting might be best for you.
But watchful waiting doesnt mean do nothing. It should include strategies to lessen symptoms or make them easier to cope with. In one recent study, men who attended classes on such self-management techniques lowered their IPSS symptom scores by 6 points within three months. Six points is a difference most men would perceive, Dr. Barry says.
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How Is Incontinence Treated
There are many different factors that your healthcare provider will consider when creating a treatment plan for your incontinence. The type of incontinence and the ways it affects your life are both big considerations. Your provider will also talk to you about the type of treatment you are most comfortable with. There are three main types of treatment you can explore for incontinence medications, lifestyle changes and surgery. Each option has pros and cons that your provider will discuss with you.
Medications to treat incontinence
There are quite a few medications that can reduce leakage. Some of these drugs stabilize the muscle contractions that cause problems with an overactive bladder. Other medications actually do the opposite thing relaxing muscles to allow your bladder to empty completely. Hormone replacement therapies can often involving replacing estrogen thats decreased during menopause may also help restore normal bladder function.
In many cases, medications can work very well to return normal function to the bladder. Your provider will carefully select a medication that matches your specific needs. Often, your provider will start you on a low dose of the medication and then increase it slowly. This is done to try and reduce your risks of side effects and to keep track of how well the medication is working to treat your incontinence.
Common medications that can be used to treat incontinence include:
Lifestyle changes to manage incontinence
Botox For An Overactive Bladder
Although not commonly used, Botox is a handy muscle relaxer for a variety of conditions, including an overactive bladder. The compound is injected right into the bladder, and patients can experience fewer uncomfortable contractions and increased bladder capacity for up to a year after the injection has taken place.
However, Botox isnt without its dangers. Some patients find that after the procedure they retain urine too much, and experience pain and complications . For these reasons, Botox for overactive bladder treatment is only considered for certain people.
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Normal Female Bladder Function
The adult bladder is a hollow organ with a muscular wall. Urine enters the bladder from two ureters which run from the kidney to the bladder. Urine is expelled from the bladder to the exterior via the urethra.
The detrusor muscle of the bladder wall is specifically designed to be able to store urine without increasing bladder pressure. The bladder acts as a reservoir relaxing to receive urine during the filling phase and only contracts to evacuate during the voiding phase.
The urethra acts reciprocally to contract during the filling phase to keep urine in the bladder and relaxing during voiding to allow for micturition. At rest the urethra is closed and the walls coapt against each other to form a seal that acts to keep urine in the bladder. Under situations of increased abdominal pressure contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and muscles around the urethra act to offer increased urethral resistance and maintain continence.
This video explains the pathophysiology of the overactive bladder. Bladder overactivity is a common problem affecting nearly 1 in 7 seven women. The aim of the video is to understand what is happening when the bladder is overactive. When you understand the cause you are more likely to be compliant with the treatments.
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms In People With Ms
LUTSs are common, occurring in 5080% of patients with MS.37
Urinary urgency is the most common symptom in 65% of patients with MS and urinary tract infection was the most common complication in 15% of subjects.37 Urodynamic evaluation showed neurogenic detrusor overactivity in 27%, detrusor sphincter dyssynergia in 25%, and an underactive detrusor in 6% of subjects.37 Symptoms include dysuria, frequency, urgency, suprapubic pain, fever, chills, flank pain, and hematuria.38
The treatment of urinary incontinence is important for social rehabilitation of the patient and thus contributes substantially to the individuals QoL.39 The most common treatment comprises pharmacotherapy and/or intermittent self-catheterization. However, in some patients anticholinergics have troublesome side effects and intermittent self-catheterization requires motivation and is not always possible for physical or psychological reasons.40 In 2008, intravesical injection of botulinum toxin was shown to be beneficial for these issues.40 Different electrostimulation techniques have also been widely proposed to treat urinary disorders and consistent results have been reported.36
The aim of this chapter was to examine the recommendations for the use of electrotherapy treatment for LUTSs in patients with MS.
The selected documents were classified according to grades of recommendation of the DUODECIM.
Table 20.2. Main Outcomes Measures and Results PTNS Treatment in Patients With MS
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