Overactive bladder (OAB) is a syndrome that causes a sudden and unstoppable need to urinate.It is a form of urinary incontinence in which sudden, involuntary contractions of the muscle surrounding the bladder produce an urgent need to urinate – sometimes it’s so sudden that the person suffering with the condition is not able to make it to a bathroom in time.

Although it is more common amongst older adults, it is not a normal part of aging. Many people at one time or another have suffered from OAB, whether it is due to a pre-existing condition such as multiple sclerosis or after pregnancy in women. Often, people who suffer from this tend to limit their fluid intake to prevent frequent trips to the bathroom or light bladder leakage. However, this strategy can have a negative effect by irritating the bladder and promoting infection.

What is also common is that many people fail to seek treatment, either because they are unaware that effective therapies are available or because they are too embarrassed to bring the condition to the attention of their family doctor.

When there are problems with frequent urination (often defined as eight or more times in 24 hours), urinary urgency, and urge incontinence, it is important to bring these matters to your doctor. For one, living with this can severely affect quality of life. It may cause disruptions at work, restrict social activities, diminish sexual intimacy and interfere with sleep. In addition, the condition could indicate a more serious underlying problem.
The first step toward taking control is to identify overactive bladder symptoms. You may have it if you:

• Experience sudden, hard-to-control urges to urinate
• Cannot make it through the night without several trips to the toilet
• Have involuntary bladder leakage following an urge to urinate (also known as urge incontinence)
• Urgency urinary incontinence (may or may not be present)

Overactive bladder symptoms vary from individual but these are definitely the most common ones. If your doctor determines that you have an overactive bladder, several treatment options - either behavioral or medicinal - are available. Behavioral treatments may include pelvic floor muscle exercises to strengthen the muscles that help stop the bladder’s involuntary activity, scheduling trips to the toilet, weight management, bladder training, or protective products, just to name a few. There are also medications available to relax the bladder, reducing involuntary urine leakage and relieving the symptoms of an overactive bladder.

With treatment, OAB can be managed.Treatment may involve taking medications for months or years or simply changes in your daily routine. If you or someone you know experiences incontinence symptoms, make an appointment with your family doctor to look into the causes and discuss treatment options.

Contact Details:
MyLeakyBladder
5959 Foxbridge Place,
Mississauga, ON, L5M 6K5
Phone-(647)477-8020
Web: http://www.myleakybladder.ca/
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