What is it about ?
Overactive bladder is a condition with no clear cause. The main symptom is an urgent need to urinate. It may be accompanied by a need to urinate often (more than 8 times per 24 hours) (pollakiuria) or a need to urinate at night (more than 2 times per night).
People who suffer from an overactive bladder may also have involuntary urine leakage (urge incontinence).
In whom and how often does it occur?
In the general population, the condition affects about 5 in 10,000 people, both men and women. On the other hand, the frequency increases with age and occurs in 15 people over 75 in 10,000. Incontinence occurs twice as often in women.
How to recognize it?
The most common complaint for this condition is a pressing need to urinate. But this urinary urgency can naturally also occur with many other disorders. That is why it is advisable to contact the doctor if you notice a change in the frequency of having to urinate. He will try to find an exact diagnosis.
How is the diagnosis made?
By asking you specific questions, the doctor will first try to get a clear idea of the problem. Keeping a urine diary is very important. You should write down there for several days when and how much you drink and urinate. This will give the doctor information about the nature and severity of the problem (for example, how many times you have urinated, how often during the night, the total amount of your urine, how much you urinate).
In addition, the doctor will perform a pelvic exam in the woman and an examination of the prostate in the man. He will also ask you for a urine sample to examine in the laboratory. These tests allow him to rule out a number of other diseases, such as:
- bladder diseases: inflammation, bladder stones, bladder swelling;
- tumors in the pelvis;
- nervous system damage: multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, dementia, impact of diabetes;
- in women: descent of the bladder;
- in men: obstruction of the bladder emptying due to prostate or urethral problems.
What can you do ?
A number of lifestyle changes can reduce symptoms. It can be helpful to adjust your drinking habits and avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and soft drinks.
What can your doctor do?
The doctor can advise you on methods of training the bladder. They can also refer you to a physiotherapist for pelvic floor exercises.
In women with urogenital atrophy due to menopause, topical hormone therapy may improve urinary tract problems.
Your doctor may prescribe medication to reduce the symptoms. These unfortunately often cause side effects like dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and dry eyes.
In men, the doctor will prescribe suitable medication if he thinks an enlarged prostate is contributing to the problem.
If the improvement is insufficient after a few months of treatment, the general practitioner may refer you to a urologist for additional examinations.
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