If your bladder control problems keep you up at night or interfere with your workday, consult a women's health specialist today. You may suffer from a condition known as overactive bladder or OAB. OAB strikes women of all ages. Without the proper treatments or steps, OAB can become worse for you. Learn more about OAB and how a women's health specialist can help you control your bladder below.
What Are the Causes of OAB?
You may wonder what an overactive bladder is and how did you get it. OAB isn't a disease or a type of cancer that develops in the bladder. OAB actually describes the problems you experience when you can't control when, where, and how much you urinate.
OAB develops when the muscles in the bladder become damaged, overstimulated, traumatized, or weakened by pregnancy, obesity, or menopause. OAB can also show up in women who take medications that inflame the cells, nerves, and muscles in the bladder, such as antidepressants and hormone replacement drugs.
An overactive bladder may also develop when the nerves in the bladder misfire and can't communicate with the brain. Your nerves send signals to your brain every time your bladder fills up with urine. If the nerves can't communicate with your brain, your brain can't tell your bladder when to empty its contents.
The symptoms of OAB are generally frequent and urgent. Women who have OAB may also experience bouts of incontinence. Incontinence occurs when you accidentally urinate on yourself during the day or night. The urine in your bladder may or may not empty completely during times of incontinence.
If you think OAB is behind your overactive bladder problems, consult a women's health specialist immediately.
What Are the Treatments for OAB?
A women's health specialist will generally perform several exams on you before they diagnose you with OAB, including a urine exam. Certain health conditions can also make the bladder weak over time, including an infection. An infection can weaken the muscle fibers and nerves in your bladder. A urine exam can determine whether or not you have a bladder infection or OAB.
If you suffer from OAB and nothing else, a specialist can provide the proper treatment for it. The treatment for OAB may include bladder control therapy. During bladder control therapy, a specialist will insert a small device just above your buttocks. The location contains special nerves that communicate directly with your bladder. The device tells the bladder to calm down and relax, which helps you regain control of when and how you urinate.
If you need additional information about overactive bladder and the treatments needed to control it, seek help from a women's doctor right away.
Learn more about OAB and how to control it by consulting a women's health specialist soon.
