We want to kick off this discussion with two important points: 1) Approximately 33 million Americans have overactive bladder, and 2) overactive bladder isn’t a condition you need to simply accept.
As our name suggests, the medical providers here at Arizona Urology are all experts in urinary function. We understand the many ways malfunction can occur, leading to problems like urinary incontinence. Among the most common is overactive bladder (OAB), which affects as many as 30% of men and 40% of women.
Given its prevalence, it should come as no surprise that there are effective treatment options that can help you gain control over your bladder.
When we discuss OAB, we’re not referring to a single condition but, rather, a group of symptoms that include:
There are different reasons why people develop OAB, such as nerve or muscle damage, hormonal changes, muscle spasms, and certain medications.
Now, let’s take a look at some of your treatment options when you have OAB. As you’ll see, there are several and you can rest assured that we work with you until we find one that’s able to manage, if not remedy successfully, your OAB.
We always start out conservatively when we treat OAB, and we like to take a look at any lifestyle changes that we can make to control your urinary urges. To start, we have you keep a bladder diary so that we look for any trends. This diary tells us what and when you eat and drink and when you urinate.
In reviewing this, we can see if there are any lifestyle connections that we can work on, such as limiting your caffeine intake since caffeine can lead to strong urinary urges.
Another great technique for addressing OAB is bladder retraining. Our goal is to train your bladder to wait longer periods between urination. We create a schedule and urination habits that teach you to control your bladder rather than the other way around.
Depending on what we think is causing your OAB, we may try medications. Some medications control muscle spasms in your bladder, as well as relax the muscles that surround your bladder.
If there’s a nerve issue behind your OAB and conservative measures fall short, we can try neuromodulation techniques, such as:
Each of these techniques works well in tough-to-treat cases of OAB.
As you can see, you’re not without options when it comes to addressing your OAB, and we work tirelessly to find the right combination for your circumstances. To get on the road to better bladder control. Please contact one of our locations in Phoenix, Goodyear, Gilbert, or Glendale, Arizona, to schedule an appointment.
